Promise
by Luna-Kitsune-Blu
Summary: He told her to stay, and she willingly obeyed. She begged him to come back, and he nodded with a grin. Promises are said to last forever, but are so easily broken by death. (SPOILERS WM fluff) (COMPLETE AND FINALLY WITH EPILOGUE)
1. Home Coming Blues

A/n: this is my first Trigun fic. Well, it was. I now have others. I have also decided to redo the chapters of this story. They are all filled with typos and crap so I thought I should revise them. I have also combined some chapters to make them longer. 

For all you who like this story, don't worry. I have kept the story line the same, I have just added stuff that needed to be added and taken out stuff that didn't need to be there. If you have any complaints on me doing this, please leave it in a review. 

I know this is a kind of stupid author note, so if you want, skip on over (like you haven't already XD). Please enjoy this new 'Promise'. Thank you for reading my story and please review…for my sanity…well…what is LEFT of it…

Just so you know when it is in first person, it is in Wolfwood's POV. 

~Blu

~*~*~

**Prologue**

"Oh God." 

"I know…I know…"

"YOU DON'T KNOW A DAMN THING!"

Meryl storms upstairs, leaving Vash at the run down table. The kids watching from the door mumble to each other before disbanding and moving back to play. Vash shakes his head, his grip on the glass tightening in disgust. Little waves form on the side as he lifts it to his mouth, gulping down the contense. "There was nothing I could do…nothing."

"NICK!"

The blonde looks up from the table top to the woman on the stairs. Millie Thompson hangs from the banister, questioning the look on the gunman's face. "Well hi, Mr.Vash," the tall woman says with a wave. Her eyes dart around the small room. "Where's Nick?" The green eyes linger on the girl sadly then return to the gin in the glass. Millie shakes her head, disbelief making her brow crinkle. "No…Nick is..."

"Dead." Vash finishes. "Wolfwood is dead."

Shock hits the insurance woman like a ton of bricks, if not like a whole Thomas. She backs up the stairs before turning around and heading for her room in a dead run. Vash chokes on the liquor and begins to sob in the kitchen. The little boys and girls in the other room begin to whisper among themselves, some teary-eyed, others full out sobbing. A group of girls huddle in the corner hugging and crying together. The oldest boy closes the door connecting the kids little play room to the rest of the house. As the door shuts, Vash stands up, glasses in hand, and walks out the door.

~*~

Meryl pounds on the locked door of Wolfwood's former bedroom. "MILLIE!" she calls, her fist being drowned out by her yelling. "OPEN THIS DOOR!"  

Inside the room Millie is sprawled out on the small cot she and Wolfwood had shared the night before. Her normally large, heart-filled eyes are drawn thin as more tears form behind them. The salt streams pour down her cheeks, making the sky-blue eyes close completely. Gun shots go off in her brain, a loud reminder of what happened only hours ago. She lets the deadly music play over and over again in her mind, knowing any of the explosions could have been the one to bring her love down. 

"MILLIE! OPEN…UP!" Meryl tries in vein to pry the wood open with her hands but she just ends up tiring herself out. "FORGET IT!"  She bangs her fist on the wood, bruising her knuckles. Her forehead sets itself next to the quivering fist. Tears run from her eyes and down each cheek. As she begins to sob, she turns and sets her back on the wood, sliding down to meet the floor. The small woman pushes her legs into her arms, hugging them to herself. 

"Oh God…"

~*~

"So your leaving too?!"

Meryl's fist collides with the small table, sending the plates on it into a frenzy. Vash shakes his head, the small earring in his left ear slightly moving. He adjusts the bag on his back before answering the insurance girl's question. "No," he says, only loud enough for the two to hear. "I'm going to go…bury Wolfwood." The veins popping in Meryl's skull go double time. Her slender eyebrows push her eyes closed in anger. 

"You just…I can't…how could…GAH!" With that Meryl storms upstairs, slamming the door behind her. Vash's eyes turn downward before he slinks out the door. 

**Chapter One: Home Coming Blues**

"Ow…my heeeeeeead!"

I force my eyes open, only to see Vash sitting at the altar, smiling down at me. Oh God, I'm going to get the 'thank-God-your-alive-not-that-I-didn't-think-you-would-die' talk. I HATE that talk. Why couldn't I've woken up in my bed or something? I glare at him, inspecting the grin a little harder.

It's fake.

This can not be good.

"Don't fake it Vash," I say, pulling myself to my feet. "I know when you are faking it." He looks at me stunned. I smirk at him, pleased at myself in confusing the bastard. He doesn't lose the look, though. He stares at me for a bit, the silence forming around us. 

"How…how do you know my name?" he says plainly. I gape at him.

"Duh, I know your name, you jack ass," I say, leaning forward. "I've known you for like five years!" He frowns at me.

"Kids shouldn't cuss." He says putting his hands on his hips. I look at his in shock. Did he just call me a…kid?

"Vash, what the hell are you talking about?!" I practically scream. I blink, for the first time hearing myself speak. 

That's not my voice.   
  


I look down at myself.

That's not mine either. 

"Oh…my…GOD!"

~*~

"…So that's what happened." I finish, taking deep breath. I begin swinging my feet over the altar. I'm shorter now. MUCH shorter. Vash shakes his head, a small smile forming. I look over to the heap of flesh I used to call my own. Some how it's still breathing. I don't know how, though, seeing as I'm over here in this kid body, and it's over there across the room propped up on my Cross Punisher. This has got to be the weirdest day ever.

EVER.

"I can not believe it," Vash says with a small giggle. I glare at him, watching the little snicker multiply into a cry of psychotic laugher though slit eyes. "YOU'RE SO SMALL!"

"And you're a idiot." I say shaking my head, silently calling him a lost cause. 

~*~

"INSURANCE GIRLS! I'M BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACK!"

Vash bursts through the door, nearly sending the poor piece of wood off its hinges. I side glance, temped to put my hand up gesturing that I do not know this crazy man. Meryl's head, once lying on the table by the door of the kitchen, bolts up with a look of surprise plastered over every corner. Her eyes, usually gray, are red and puffy. That means one of three things;

She has been sobbing her eyes out,

She is on a MAJOR hang-over,

Or she is really, REALLY pissed.

From the amount of glaring she is doing, I am going with the last one. This is the time when you slowly back away, find a sound proof wall in the nearest town about 50 iles away, and hope to God you keep your hearing. But just my luck, Vash has closed the door behind me. I'm cornered and Meryl is on the war path.

We're boned.

"What the hell were you THINKING?!" 

There goes the atom bomb…

~*~

"…So you just thought he could stay the night with us, with the other kids." Vash finishes, ice pack pressed on his jaw. Meryl's vein hasn't stopped throbbing. I keep telling myself not to stare…but it just keeps throbbing and throbbing. It's going to burst and when it does…

It takes me a minute to realize I was being spoken to. I blink, clearing my mind of the vessel about to pop and turn to Vash, staring blankly. Of course I answer with a oh-so-intelligent; "Umm…what?"

"He said, do you want to stay in the room with the other kids or with one of us?" Meryl repeats, the small vein growing in size. Oh God, I'm making it worse. 

Wait…sleep with one of them…MILLIE! 

SCORE!!!

"I'll sleep with Millie."   

Both do a double take. 

"I mean…err…Mr. Vash told me about Millie," I say, putting on my best kiddie face. I hope to God she buys this. "Mr. Vash says she's really nice, so I was wondering if I could sleep with her for the first night." Oh God, I just called Vash MISTER…twice!

"I'm sorry," Meryl replies, her face turned down to the table top. I look up at her, waiting for her to finish. "She isn't herself at the moment."

Vash and I exchange glances. He nods, telling me Meryl is speaking the truth. I look back down at my glass of water. It's my fault, isn't it?

~*~*~

Wolfwood: There is place, deep down inside each of us, that is our own. A place where no one has been, a personal place, untouched. Some people don't even know they have that place inside until they need it, others never leave it. If you bury yourself too deep into that place, it may hard to leave. To be alone in a place only you can go to when you are hurting, not to have other people trying to help you with something they know they never can, it is tempting. But if you never leave there, if that place becomes your reality, how do you know what you are missing?

**Next Chapter: So Far Down**


	2. So Far Down

A/n: Well, here is chapter two of the new 'Promise'. I have been about three seconds from dumping this fic and moving back to my humor and poetry, but then all the rapid plot bunnies and T9's sharp objects and Hustino's…I really don't know what Hustino would do if I quit this, but I know all of this together would kill me, so this thing will continue even if I only have three reviews every chapter…

TK: …what a nice little run-on sentence you have there, Blu-chan.

Blu: Shut up, this is an author note, I can rant all I like, they can just skip over if they don't want to hear it! Anywho, tho I know not too many people are reading this, I am going to continue and maybe even make a sequel…just because T9 will kill me if I don't seeing as we have talked thru it and everything @.@ I know what you are thinking-

TK: what? "How much longer can this author note go!?" or maybe, "Is this even a chapter!?" 

Blu: I CAN RANT, DAMMIT! Anywho, before sword boy has a heart attack, I better thank the reviews and be done with it. 

Hustino: First reviewer, you must be so happy! …no? w/e, you reviewed. Thankies and enjoy the chapter, seeing as I have rewritten more, as you hoped!

Wolf-woman54: I am glad you like this version better, me too! ENJOY

Batbabe1: yay, you read another one of my ficcies! I hope you stay on the ride for another chapter. I am glad we cleared up the little gender question. 

Batbabe1 (later): OMIGOD! YOU REALLY WANNA READ THIS!

TK: Blu, all three of them do, Hustino just said so in another email and T9 can't see you updated

Blu: must you ALWAYS be a kill joy?

Read, Review, and Wait, the three things that happen on this site

Disclaimer: -forgot to do one XD- …if I owned this anime, tho great it may be, NICK WOULD HAVE LIVED, DAMMIT! And seeing he would live…THIS CHAPTER WOULDN'T BE HERE, LET ALONE THIS FIC,  DUMB-ASSES! Ahem, thank you. 

~*~*~

**Chapter Two: So Far Down**

 "Is it ready yet? Huh? Is it?!"

Vash hovers over the small insurance woman as she stirs the soup in the pot sitting on the stove. Though she is tempted to smack the big oaf with the ladle in her hands, Meryl refrains from showing such anger in front of the children. Most of the little ones sit around the table, including the newest member. The rest, however, are swarming around the two adults in an attempt to get a piggy-back ride or a free taste of the soup. Of course, Vash is the first to cave. Before long three of the smaller children have scaled his back and are now sitting pretty on his shoulders. Vash waddles away, not wanting to drop his passengers into the hot water below. Meryl smiles triumphantly at the gunman's retreat to the table. Without missing a beat Vash swings around, much to the joy of his three little hangers, and calls to her in the ever-loving; "Is it done NOW?!"

Meryl, not realizing her own strength (yeah right), yanks the ladle out of the soup and chucks it at the blonde. It's a direct hit. Vash goes sailing back while the kids sitting on him 'abandon ship'. Catching himself on a chair, Vash begins to rub his now red and bleeding nose with a groan. "Ow…that hurt!"

"Duh, it hurt, you big idiot," the small boy from the chapel says, shaking his head. "She didn't throw it at you to make you feel better." After digging through the nearest drawer, Meryl fishes out another spoon and returns to her stirring, this time without Vash's comments. 

The kitchen quiets down after the 'ladle chucking fiasco', letting the two adults simmer in the blank silence. The boys and girls split up, each side picking a corner to play in. Vash and the 'new' kid exchange glances, eyebrows cocked in confusion. Meryl side glances the two, slightly smiling at the pair's friendly actions. Her little staring has gone on too long though as her soup was beginning to boil. Not noticing this, seeing as a little girl has decided to distract her by asking her to make sure her doll isn't crying, Meryl kneels down, leaving the spoon in the heating water. 

"Umm…Meryl?" The child at the table points at the pot on the stove. "I may suck at cooking but…is it supposed to have fire on the top?" Meryl does a double take, her eyes bulging at the site of the meal aflame. 

Grabbing the pot's cover, Meryl beings to smother out the fire, but the black haired midget (A/n: Meryl, for those with no creativity) is forced back as flames pour from the underside of the rusted pot. The little girls begin to scream as the boys 'ooh' and 'aah' at the light show. Vash stands up so fast his chairs flies backwards. The other one sitting at the table also shoots up, running to Meryl's side and flipping off the power to the stoves burner. Vash rips the pot from the heat, the cover on keeping the soup inside, and sets it on the table for all to see. "I think it's safe to say the soup is done!" Vash says with a half grin. Meryl glares a little, hiding her own smile. The 'new' kid sighs in relief before sitting back down with the other dozen some kids. 

As Meryl starts to hand out the bowls to the chatting children, she notices the 'newest' boy's infixion on the stairs. Following his gaze (Vash soon picking up on this and doing the same), she sees her tall partner looking wide-eyed down at the table. "Millie!" the small boy yells, jumping from his chair. Meryl swings around noting her friend is not looking at the whole table but just at the small boy now locking eyes with her. Millie turns away, retreating to Wolfwood's room just as the boy begins racing for the stairs. By the time the child gets to the bottom step, Millie has disappeared again into the door frame of the room. Lingering at the stairway, the boy drops his shoulders. After a moment he returns, pushing his chair in behind him, and sits with his bowl in his hands as if nothing happened. He smiles weakly up at Meryl, lifting his bowl to her. 

"Umm…can I have some soup, Ma'am?"

~*~  
 

What the hell just happened? That wasn't Millie on the stairs. It couldn't have been…oh damn, what have I done to her?

"You can put your bowl down now." Meryl says, bringing me back to reality. I blink, setting my bowl back on the table top. She moves around the table, handing out the meal to everyone. Vash looks at me, I nod to him, knowing what his eyes are asking;

'Did you see the look on Millie's face?'

I shake my head, swirling my spoon in the soup. I couldn't help but want to cry out to her, but I just blew my cover. 

I blew it sky–high.

Hell, it's in orbit.  

"Are you ok?" Vash  asks. Once again pulled from thought, I look up blankly and nod.

"No, I'm fine," I say half-heartedly. Soon the room is filled with small-talk. The only ones not chit-chatting about this or that is Vash and I. Finally realizing my absence in the conversations flying, Meryl decides to strike up one of her own. 

"So, you were hiding out in the chapel, were you?" she asks, turning to me with a friendly smile. Playing my part, I nod. "Well, did you, by chance see a man th-"

"Hey, Meryl!" Vash says, hurrying to cut her off. "Whatcha make this out of?" As the two of them get into a deep conversation/bitch fight over what should be put into the meal, I slip out the door to freedom.

The door closes behind me, and I let out a sigh of relief. Now I can stand normal. After leaning on the side of our little make-shift home, I blink in the bright sunlight of the evening. The picture of Millie on the staircase flashes before my eyes.

"Don't look at me like that…" I say, slipping my hand into my jacket pocket to pull out my cigarettes. Man, I need a smoke. Bad. Then I remember: I don't have my jacket. That means I don't have my cigarettes. DAMMIT! Cursing to myself, I roughly shove my hands into the pockets I really have. This blows. 

"Don't look at you like what?" 

I jump about ten feet in the air, which is hard to do seeing as I am now only three something, and spin around to see Vash grinning from the door way. I glare, the tall bastard enjoying it. "Did no one ever tell you NOT TO SNEAK UP ON PEOPLE?!" I scream, making a lunge for his head. Vash dodges, forgetting there is a wall in the way, and slams right into it. I stop mid-jump to take in the full stupidity of the legendary gun man. Dear Lord, some times the truth seems so far from the truth it's funny. Case and point, the blubbering fool now clutching his head as tears run down his face. I shake my head, my trademark grin sliding into place. "You really know how to make a fool of yourself, Vash the Stampede." He looks up, grinning slightly, but still holding his noodle. 

"Actually I came out here to do this," he says moving to the alley between out house and the next. His smile widens as he places both hands on the wall as if bracing himself. I turn away, already knowing what will happen. Like I want to see THAT. As the humanoid typhoon pukes his guts out behind me, I can't help but chuckle to myself.

"You're really a piece of work, Vash. Not only can you not hold your liquor, but you can't even hold Meryl's soup."

"I'M SORRY!" he screams through hacks. I turn around, for no apparent reason, and regret it two seconds later.

"Damn, that's just sick!" I  holding my own mouth. Turning around to face the door, I mumble the rest to myself. "That's right up there with Legato's fun, and E.G.'s cooking!" 

"I knew I would find you out here!"

Once again, I jump twice my height from surprise. "MERYL! Don't DO that to me!"

"I'm sorry," she says with a smile. She must think 'I'm sooooo cute'. Heh, I can't wait to see her face when she realizes it's me! Sitting on the steps to lower herself to my level of sight (some thing I never thought she would have to do), she continues. "I need you and Vash to go find us all the stuff on this list, 'kay?" Producing said list, she pats me on the head and moves to the door. Putting on my best 'sure-ma'am-I-wont-let-you-down' face, I wait for her to leave before shoving the piece of paper given to me in my pocket. Mumbling every curse word I can remember, I trot over to Vash before pulling him away to get whatever the hell Meryl put on her damn shopping list.

~*~

Meryl sips her coffee nervously. The wispy curtains, though torn, dance in the evening wind. "They've been gone a long time," she says to the empty room. The rumble of little footsteps above her is her only answer. She sighs before returning to the brew in her hands.  Minutes pass and soon the mug looks up at her, empty. Setting the cup aside, her glassy gaze trails to the open window. The mist covering the her eyes disappears when gold and red pass the flapping fabric. "VASH THE STAMPEDE!" she screams as he bursts through  the door. "How long does it take to get some food!?" 

Vash blinks, trying to find an answer but comes up blank. The little boy, nick-named 'Chapel' in her mind, rises to meet Meryl's question. "The town is totaled," he says calmly. "It took us forever just to figure out what used to be what." 

Meryl's glare on the two males lingers but slowly subsides. Instead of dwelling on half answered questions she turns her stormy-cloud eyes to the gun man in red. "Next time you go out for food, remember where you got it from, okay?" she says, hiding a smile from the stampede. "We still have almost a dozen mouths to feed here!" Not hearing an answer, she doubles the cold stare.  

"OUCH! Right in the heart!" Vash keels over like he's been shot. "That icy glare of death! I can't take it! I just can't take it!" The Humanoid Typhoon falls over a near-by chair, playing dead. Completely fooled by his little act (sarcasm), Meryl chucks the empty mug at the blonde. 

"You goof-ball," she says. "We already have too many five year olds in this house to need a grown man acting like one, too!"

"Looks like the honey moon's over," Chapel snickers. Vash jumps off the chair and places a gloved hand over his little mouth. 

"Kids, aren't they cute?" Vash places his other hand behind his head. Chapel grumbles something, but it's muffled under the glove incasing his mouth. "Huh? Whatcha' say there?"

Chapel yanks Vash's hand away and bops him one on the head. "I SAID GET YOU STINKIN HAND OFFA MY MOUTH, YOU STUPID NEEDLE NOG-" Before he can finish, Vash pushes him towards the stairs, muttering something as they go. Meryl, completely in the dark on what just happened, collapses on chair behind her. When Vash returns he is alone, no little shadow from the church behind him.

"Do you know his name?" Meryl asks the sitting Vash. Without meeting her eyes, he nods. "Well then, what is it?"

"Nicholas I think," he replies, the shadow of a smile on his lips. Meryl tries to hide forming tears, but she has never been good at hiding things from the man in red across from her. "Are you ok?"

"Why do you put on a smile for him? For them?" Meryl huffs, looking at the outlaw frustrated. 

"Huh? Whatcha mean?"

"I mean, you must feel like crap, like the rest of us, but you still act like a bloody fool for the kids!" she grunts, slamming a fist on the table. Instead of blowing her off or tip-toeing around her question, Vash looks up and smiles sadly at the short woman.

"He asked me the same thing, Wolfwood I mean, the first time we met," Vash says quietly, leaning back in the chair. "He said I must be hurting terrible on the inside, but I put on a grin and bare it. He, that boy I mean, knows I'm just faking too, but he doesn't mind or say anything about it. Because he doesn't say anything about it…I'm…I'm glad to put on the clowns face for him, even if we are both just acting…it's just who I am, who we are." 

~*~

Blu: Not my best chapters, but I am getting there! Some how I feel I'm just adding un-needed stuff in here to fill up space. Well, anyway, the time the –counts her readers- three of you have been waiting for, Wolfwood's and Millie's reunion, will be in the next chapter. 

TK: you do know that no one cares, right?

Blu: T9 and Hustino care!

TK: …sure they do

Blu: TK, shut up

~*~

Wolfwood: It's ok to mask your feelings, to hold what you don't want others to see inside, but no one can do it forever. The clay mask of falsehood cracks sooner or later. The looks in people's eyes, the empty smiles and waves, the fake laughs, and stupid jokes and pranks, they are all an escape. To say you are truly happy is when in the face of pain or suffering is to deny yourself the reality of human nature. Though masking your sorrow to the outside world by acting like a class clown is not right, it is no better then wallowing in self pity or grief.

**Next Chapter: Smile For Me**


	3. Smile for Me

Blu: OMIGOD! I HAVE MORE READERS! I AM SO HAPPY! …pay up TK

TK: -grumbles to self and hands Blu ten bucks-

Blu: hee hee hee

Hustino- I am glad you liky, and there is no way I would stop this anyway!

Yma- OMIGOD! ANOTHER REVIEWER! I am so glad I have more then three readers! For you I will keep it up! DEFENTLY! (TK: Blu-chan, calm down, he just reviewed!) I know but it's still cool for me ^^ (TK: -_-')

KittyHakubi- Your wait is over my friend…tho you already knew that by clicking the link…sorry to be redundant XD Who ever decided to kill off Wolfwood needs to say sorry! THEY MADE ME AND THE OTHER HUNDRED THOUSAND WOLFWOOD FANGIRLS CRY!

T9- I am glad you like it…and stuff…don't hurt me…

Blu: thankies for the reviews, and I hope you all like this chapter…tho it might be boring…

Read, Review, and Wait, the three things that happen on this site

~*~*~

**Chapter Three: Smile for Me**

"Millie? Millie open up! I have your food."

Meryl taps on the door again. Not hearing a response, she sighs, very annoyed. "If I ever see him again, I'll kill him," she mutters under her breath. Turning around, the short insurance girl heads back down the stairs, the full tray in hand. Coming into the kitchen, she is greeted by Vash and his shadow, little Nick. The two wave, both pairs of eyes begging to hear about the dinner delivery. Meryl shakes her head. "She won't take it, in fact she won't even open up. She'll die of starvation before she is well enough to get over _him_." Venom sticks to the last word, so much so that the two slightly flinch. 

"No she wont," Vash corrects, a smile sliding into place. "Millie is strong, she'll be fine. We just need to give her the time she needs for the…wound to heal." 

"But she still has to eat," Meryl counters. The blonde gun man nods before getting up and heading out the door. "Where is heoff to now?" Meryl asks, not expecting an answer.

"The fountain, no less," Nick says, getting up as well. Before she can get another word in, Meryl is left alone in the makeshift kitchen, the door swinging shut. Mumbling to herself about some annoying upside-down haired, donut-loving, reckless jerks not knowing anything about how the mind of a woman works, Meryl leaves the tray on the table, untouched.

~*~

Following Vash, I head to the blood covered face plate of the town fountain. I close my eyes, remembering the last time I passed this spot. It was last night, Vash was sitting looking downright pathetic, and I just left him there, my head turned like I didn't care. The look in his eyes…those damn eyes…

"Sooooo…on the first evening a pebble…"

I look up, a light tune drifting over to me…off key. I flinch as the Humanoid Typhoon slurs around the notes. God awful.  Who the hell taught this guy to sing? Who ever it was, they should be hung. My poor ears…

"Stick to singing about genocide," I cut in. "You can't keep a tune, Vash."

"That's not nice!" Vash stammers, pouting a bit. "I like that song."

"You just killed that song," I reply playfully. A look of pain flashes over the green-blue eyes, but only for a spilt second. I smile to myself. Vash, you might be good at hiding your feelings to everyone else around you, but you could never, EVER, hide them from me. "Who taught that to you anyways? It's old, ain't it?"

"My mom taught it to me," he says smiling the first real smile in ages. "She used to sing it all the time…I used to think she was an angle because she sang so beautifully…" Sitting next to him, I find myself joining in on the sing-a-long.

"Sooooo…on the first evening a pebble…"

~*~

"So…your telling me _cats_ ate the food?"

The little girl nods. "Two big black cats," she says matter-o-factly.

"Two big black cats…"

"Yupp…"

"Ate Millie's food…"

"That's right…"

"And you saw them?"

"Uh-huh."

"Okay…" Meryl leans down and pats the little girl on the head. "Thanks Sarah," she says, a smile pulling on the sides of her mouth. She stands up and heads for the sink to clean the pile of dishes stacked there. "Oh," she stops and turns around, her apron in hand, "you have a little pudding on your cheek." The raven haired woman wipes the smug away and pats the blushing girl on the head again. Sarah turns and rushes up the stairs, leaving the grinning Meryl to her work. Grabbing up her tattered wash towel, she picks up the nearest bowl and scrubs. Half way through the small pile, she sets down the cup she is working on and looks out the window. Gold pours over the curtains and fills the room. Meryl watches as the first sun sinks out of her site and under the sand. Grabbing up the glass again, she mutters under her breath. "I hope they get back soon…there's no telling what might decide to show up next…"      

"Yeah, knowing that needle noggin, we'll have something twice as deadly as sandworms on our asses by the third moon rise!"

Meryl spins around meeting face to face with the legendary outlaw. Her temper on an all time high, she punches the blonde in the gut. "DON'T SNEAK UP ON ME, DAMMIT!"

"OW! THAT HURT!" Vash stumbles back and plops down on the ground. Meryl swipes up her fallen towel and finishes scrubbing the glass probably harder then necessary. Vash, who has finally found his true goofy side again, makes his eyes as big and watery as possible. "You're so cold…"

"Won't work, nimrod."

"Ice Princess."

"Dumb-ass."

"Bitchy."

"Reckless."

"Heart of stone."

"Brain the size of a pea."

"Shorty."

"…low blow, Mister Vash the Stampede."

The two turn around to see a short haired boy with messy clothes, dirt caked cheeks, and a crooked tooth pick sticking out of the corner of his mouth leaning on the open door's frame. Meryl lets out a sigh. "Oh good," she says, her shoulders relaxing. "It's only you Nicholas."

The little boy's hair almost stands on end. Eyes bulging, he turns to the blonde now sitting at the table and jabs a shaking finger and Meryl. "SHE KNOWS?!" he all but screams. 

Vash shakes his head, hands up in defense. "She only knows your name," he says reassuringly, "that's it." Nick loosens up, he arms falling to his sides.

Meryl looks at the two blankly. "What aren't you telling me?" she asks, a pinch of anger in her voice. Shocked at the fact they might have let too much slip out, the two shout out a collective "NOTHING!". Convinced that they are just hiding some 'boy' thing from her, Meryl sets down her now squeaky-clean cup and heads up stairs. "I'll go tuck everyone in," she says when she reaches the landing. "Where are you sleeping tonight, Nick?" The boy looks a little taken back by the question just thrown at him and takes a minute to weigh his options.  

"With me, right?" Vash asks, nudging the boy slightly. Nick looks blankly up at him, a look that can only mean one thing: 'Wha?'. "Riiiiiiiiiight?"

"Oh yeah," the boy replies hurriedly, "right!" Shaking her head at the two, Meryl climbs up the stairs to the kid's room.

"That, my friend, was a close one."

~*~

I grin at Vash, the tooth pick wobbling slightly. He points to the sliver of wood with a questionable look on his face. "Whats with the stick?" he asks. 

"I need something in my mouth or I'll go nuts," I say, stuffing my hands into my pockets. "I may be in a different body, but I still have my twelve year addiction."

"Well," Vash stands up, ushering me to the stairway. "We better hit the hay." He winks at me. "Growing boys need their rest, ya know." Not missing a beat I bop the goof the best I can on the head. "Ow! Why is everybody always pickin on me?" he whines. I grin, but refuse him the satisfaction of knowing it. 

When we get to Vash's room, only one away from Millie's, I can't help but feel…I don't know…cut off from her. Vash looks down at me, the flash in his eyes saying he knows what I mean. If only. Pulling a long t-shirt from his travel bag, he throws it to me. "You have to sleep in something else," he says as I hold up the EX-large shirt. "That's your only change of clothing right now."

"I can't fit into this!" I hiss. "The last thing I want is to wake up and find out I'm in a dress. My ego is almost nothing as it is, don't make me do this Vash…I will bring you down with me!" Eyes wide with fake fear, the Typhoon dives into his bag, searching for a more appropriate garment. 

In the end, I'm stuck with the dress. Rolling up the sleeves and such, I hunch against corner. Throwing me the blanket from his bed, Vash rolls over to face the dusty window on the wall by his makeshift cot. "Don't you need this?" I ask, holding up the fabric just tossed to me. "It's going to get cold tonight."

"You need it more," he says without turning around. "You body doesn't have any immune systems up yet, it's better I chance the cold." Shrugging, I lean back on the plaster of the wall and tug the blanket around me. I'm not going to bug Vash when he's like this…it's just too weird when he's this serious. Before I know it, sleep is upon me. Like I care. I welcome it with open arms…hoping that when I wake up, I won't see tile… 

~*~

I wake up with a start, sweat pouring down my face. My hair is matted on all sides by the salt water. I shiver from the dampness, the cold. Looking up and out the window, I can see the rainbow of the moons, each their own shade. Slightly lowering my vision, I see Vash, sleeping peacefully on his cot, his red coat rapped around him snuggly. Laying my head back into its nook of wall, I try to return to sleep. Suddenly my ears pick up sound in the room on the other side. Pressing my ear closer to the wall, I strain to place the faint noise. 

It's crying.

Millie is crying…

Forgetting everything Vash had told me about keeping my cover, everything I told myself didn't matter, and everything that would go out of whack if I ran into her room right now, I struggle out of the blanket incasing me and burst out the door. Sharply turning so to head straight for her room, I grip the knob and wrench it open. Startled by my sudden presence, Millie jerks up from the pillow incasing her face, the beautiful blue eyes red and puffy.

We gawk at each other for what seems like hours, but what I know is only seconds. "Mill-" I begin to say, taking a step forward. Before I can utter the rest of the syllable, Big Girl tackles me, which slams me into the hallway railing I might add, a begins to bawl.

"I KNEW IT!" she screams, causing everyone to open their doors (including Vash, who usually only wakes up to the morning call of 'Donuts!'). "I KNEW YOU WOULD KEEP YOUR PROMISE! YOU CAME BACK, NICK! YOU REALLY CAME BACK!"

~*~*~

Blu: how do you like my terrible attempt at a cliffy? Pathetic? Yessh.

TK: you just love that 'synonyms' button, huh Blu-chan?

Blu: tis an author's best friend.

TK: right…

~*~

Wolfwood: The human is a social animal, as are most. People say they want to be alone, and that's just fine, but no one likes to be alone forever. People need other people to survive. As I sat on the porch with Millie one day, the two suns bearing down on us, I looked out across the stretch of sand and saw a boy. He wasn't playing with anyone, he was just sitting there. It made me think of all the little boys and girls I have known. As I sat on that porch with Millie at my side, I whispered something to myself:

"I really don't want to take that one…" 

**Next Chapter: Let Me Be With You  **


	4. Let Me Be With You

Blu: ow, my contact hurts

TK: just do the author's note

Blu: oh fine…I have three announcements for you guys, so please read this!

1.) I have changed the Secondary Genre from Tragedy to General. Tho I hate to say it, the tragedy part wont be coming for a while XD

2.) This chapter is going to be uber mushie…you have been warned! Also on this note, I'm not the best when it comes to writing mush, so bare with, k?

3.) *this one doesn't matter much* because I was bored, I did a pic for Promise. If you would like to see it, please leave it in an review…the more reviews the better –hint hint-

Blu: yay, now that those dumb announcements are over, I can thank all of my cool reviewers!

KittyHakubi- A COOKIE?! Is it peanut-butter?! –eyes get all starry like-

Hustino- YAY! I ROCK! …any who, I am glad I have a guy friend that was also…umm…'touched' by the fact they offed Wolfy…yeah XD

Batbabe1- well babe, I updated! Thankies for reading still! 

Wolf-Woman54- thankies for the review, as for the thingies at the end, I make them up…besides, we are ALL nuts here! –puts on her Mad Hatter's hat and bounces off-

Wolfwood&Millie_Fangirl- YAY! Another reader! I am so glad you are coming for the next chapter and the next chapter and the next chapter and the next chapter…

Chaotic Pink Chocobo- I am so glad you people like this! I am very excited! Here is da chapter, babe!

Blu: that's it for the reviewers! Here is the chapter!

Read, Review, and Wait, the three things that happen on this site.

~*~*~

**Chapter Four: Let Me Be With You**

"Wha?" 

That's all I have time for before Millie pens me to the railing and all but gropes me. Meryl, Vash, and all the kids burst out of their doors, egger to see what the racket is. "MILLIE!" Meryl screams, leaving her room. "Get OFF of him! That's not Wolf-" Before she can finish her sentence, Vash places a hand over her mouth, silencing her. 

The blonde slowly shakes a finger at her. "Leave them be," he says, making it sound more like a plea then an order. Meryl struggles with herself on whether to listen or break us up. Looking back at Vash, who is now making the biggest puppy dog face in human history, she signs to herself and settles on watching. 

"Why did you LEAVE me?!" Millie screams, turning my attention back to her. Seeing as she's buried in my shirt, the sound is muffled. She clutches to me like a child would her doll or mother. I guess this is why I love Millie so much…she reminds me of the orphanage…it's more then that though…I do love her.

"I didn't mean to," I reply sheepishly, letting my real tone out for the first time all day. "I was kinda delayed." Returning the embrace the best I can from this position, I hold Millie to me. "You know I would never wanna leave you."

"I was so worried when you didn't come back," she whimpers. "I heard all these gunshots and I thought-" She doesn't finish, but instead snuggles closer, a muffled 'Oh Nicholas' the only thing left hanging in the air. Big Girl continues to sob into me, but the sobs soon turn into helpless hiccups. 

"Shh…it's alright, I'm right here." Stroking her hair, I whisper reassuringly into her ear. 

A sharp gasp pops from right field. Meryl steps forward, ignoring Vash's warning, and points a finger right at me. "You're-"

"Nicholas D. Wolfwood," the Typhoon finishes, lowering her finger. From where I'm sitting, I can see Meryl's eyes widen. 

"Yupp that's me alright," I answer, putting my free hand on the back of my neck. "Don't know how it happened, don't care, I'm just here." Shrugging my shoulders, I lean back on the banister behind me. "It's not like I thought you wouldn't find out, but in only a day?" Letting the question hang in the air, I look down at the now sleeping woman in my arms and smile my crooked smile. "But it is my job to keep my promises."  

~*~

Slowly I open my eyes, the morning suns shining through and open bedroom door onto the wood in font of me. Feeling something move by my leg, I, after overriding my human urge to jump up and scream like a little girl, look down to see Millie still clinging to me. A smile cracks over my face as I wipe a hair out of her eyes. Suddenly, everything that happened last night hits me. Clinching my teeth, I let out a low groan. "Shit!" I hiss, "Meryl knows." 

"I know _what_?"

Jumping slightly, I turn to the now opening bathroom door. Meryl, toothbrush sticking out of the side of her mouth, steps out and looks down at me. Out of pure reflex, I grin sheepishly, making her roll those grey eyes of her's. "You shouldn't cuss, Wolfwood," she mutters through her foamy tooth brush, "or have you forgotten about all the kids crammed in this house?" I flinch. She _does_ know. Rolling her eyes again, Meryl trots back down the hallway. As she passes the Stampede's door, she throws open the door. "VASH!" she screams. "DONUTS!" Slamming the door shut again, the short insurance girl opens the door to her own room. Vash scrambles out of his own door two seconds later, fully dressed. Searching franticly for his breakfast/lunch/dinner, the Typhoon's eyes fall on Millie and I.

"Well hi, Nick," Vash chirps, raising his hand. "Sleep well?"

"The beds kinda hard, but the blanket sure is warm," I joke. A rare smile graces the lips of the blonde, causing my grin to return. A door slams, making us both jump (though I can't exactly get very high in the air with Millie on top of me). Meryl, who is standing in front of her now closed door, blinks before awkwardly heading for the stairs.

"Go wake the kids. Vash," she grunts. "I'll make breakfast in ten." Nodding sleeping and mumbling a 'yeah yeah', Vash turns around and heads for the kid's room. Meryl trots down the stairs, waving at me lazily. I blink, realizing my situation. 

"Hey guys?" I groan. "Don't leave me here!" Shifting my weight to see where Vash vanished to, I can hear the Humanoid Typhoon waking up all the kids—at once. That's a bad move…and only means one thing. 

Stampede.

The children bust through the door as I brace myself, ready to be trampled. The kids pass, jumping down the steps two at a time. Aah—nothing like a nice sonic boom to wake you up in the morning. Remerging  from the room, Vash whistles innocently as he trudges down the stairs. "Later, Wolf," he says, jumping down to the landing. 

"Wait!" I screech. "Hey, come on!" From what I can hear, Meryl just finished whatever breakfast is and is now serving it out. CRAP! "Millie? Millie honey…get up!  MILLIE!"

"Thomas stole my money…" she mumbles sleepily. I roll my eyes. At this rate I wont move from this stop until noon. 

"MILLIE!" Meryl calls from the kitchen. "I HAVE PUDDING!"

Big Girl shoots up and grabs my arm. "Come on, Mr. Priest!" she chirps. "PUDDING!" Pulling me down the stairs probably harder then needed, Millie flies down into the kitchen to get the two day supply of pudding she missed. 

~*~

Vash and Meryl exchange glances. The newly reunited couple, Millie and…mini Wolfwood, sit together on the other side of the table, stuffing their faces like nothing happened. The kids, some of which imitating Millie and her eating habits, also seem to have forgotten about the little episode last night. The two look back at each other and shrug. No use dwelling on the past. Opening his second box of donuts, Vash joins in the gorging. Meryl, rolling her eyes, sticks to her coffee and toast.   

"Whatcha think about the toast, Millie?" Nick mumbles through his own breakfast, passing the butter to his now much larger girlfriend.

"I think Sempai burnt it," she giggles, passing the margarine to the boy next her. The child next to her snickers, taking the butter and using it on his own black toast. 

"Millie!" Meryl growls. Vash and Nick glace at the other and begin to chuckle. "Shut it!" Shorty snaps, gabbing the Typhoon in the shoulder. 

"You gonna take that, Vash?" the boy next to Millie asks. All the boys nod and ask him similar questions. Vash glances to Meryl, veins throbbing in ten different places, and shrugs.   

Millie, back to her random happy self, looks out the window and gasps. "It's such a nice day!" she screams, scaring everybody. "Let's all get dressed!" With that, Millie jumps out of her chair and runs up the stairs, kids in suit. Meryl, catching what Wolfwood was looking at, chucks her cup at him.  
  


"You are suck a perv," she huffs, picking up the empty plates. Vash snickers, but is also nailed with the mug, this time from Wolfwood's side of the table. Millie, seeming to have forgotten about her now shorter counter-part, rushes down the stairs and grabs the chibi preacher by the collar. Running back up to their room, Millie carries Wolfwood by the neck the whole way, much to the enjoyment of the outlaw sitting at the table.  

"Oh no."

Vash, now bored of watching Wolfwood flail under the grasp of his woman, turns to Meryl to see what she is talking about. "Millie dropped her photograph," Meryl says, showing the picture to Vash.

"I remember that!" Vash squeals, pointing to the picture. "That's the first time the two met…" He decides to whisper the rest to himself. "…that fast moving pervert." In Meryl's hand is a crumpled old photograph of Wolfwood and Millie sleeping next to  each other on the bus. The sides are torn but the main image is pretty much intact. 

**~Flashback~**

Millie slowly begins to snore, the odd preacher propped onto her shoulder. Meryl scoffs again, only louder.

"The nerve," she whispers, shifting her weight. 

"Here," Vash says, taking something out of his bag. Handing a small camera to the girl at his side, he gestures to the sleeping duo. "Souvenir," he mutters. Though not really seeing what taking a picture of a perverted priest hitting on her best friend has to do with remembering their 'wonderful' trip to May (or Mei) City, Meryl clicks the button, which triggers the flash…

Which scares the crap out of everyone on the bus.

**~End Flashback~**

"COME ON, NICK!" 

Both at the table jump before turning to the staircase. Millie, a hoard of children, and Wolfwood, trying to run down the stairs and tie his boot at the same time, stumble down the steps and out into the morning light. Big Girl, who is waiting by the door for her little boyfriend, catches a glimpse of the photo discarded on the table. "Thanks, Sempai!" Millie giggles, running to the table and picking up the photo. "I was worried I'd lost it!" Slipping the precious piece of paper into her rolled up sleeve, the taller of the two women of the household rushes out the door, followed by her now two booted boyfriend.

~*~*~

Blu: That chapter sucked.

TK: if you say it did

Blu: yessh, I do…I guess review

TK: …that rhymed.

~*~      

Wolfwood: There once was a man who never did anything. He sat around all day and did nothing what so ever. He had a friend who did all he could for others. That friend of his was loving and helpful, but had also experienced the pain one can only get from the world. Neither men liked pain, but one chose to endure it. One day the man who did nothing died. That same day the his friend also died. Which do you think was remembered?

**Next Chapter: Boldly Going Nowhere**


	5. Boldly Going Nowhere

Blu: …damn you are all persistent.

TK: just say it, Blu-Chan

Blu: fine, that last chapter DIDN'T suck ass

TK: good girl

Hustino-That has to be the longest review I have ever gotten. It just plain made my day! THANKIES!

KittyHakubi- YAY! –eats the cookie- ok, so it didn't suck. Thankies for liking it

Chaotic Pink Chocobo- I will take your word for it, hun

Wolf-Woman54- YAY! MY FIRST FLAME! I knew you would hate the mush…

Ali10- Chapter one: Didn't mean to weird you out XD I am glad you liked it ^^

Chapter two: YAY! Now you LOVE it XD…disclaimers are fun

Chapter three: I think that is a great idea. I want everyone to sing the Genocide song in their reviews! Thanks, babe!

Chapter four: Well, another person loves that scene too, eh? Well, maybe I'm not as nuts as I thought I was…no, I'm still nuts

BatBabe1- I am glad you liked the…spin…thingy…wtf?! I think I am lost…

Thanks all! I would like to warn you though, this chapter is how the title suggests, not much will happen.

Read, Review, and Wait, the three things that happen on this site.

~*~*~

**Chapter Five: Boldly Going Nowhere**

Stepping out into the twin sunlight, I let out a sigh. All the weight of hiding myself has just been lifted off my shoulders. It's a wonderful feeling. Sauntering down the steps, I sit next to Millie. She smiles gently and wraps a hand around my waist. The kids run about, playing tag with each other. It's funny how in a ruined city like this, kids go on playing. It makes me miss it…

"Whatcha thinking about, Wolfie?"

I jump slightly before smacking Vash over the head. "STOP DOING THAT!" I screech. 

"Ow…"

"Nicholas," Millie says, "play nice." I think about this for a second…is she treating me like her kid!? …couldn't be…

"Yeah, Nick," the Stampede says with a grin. "Listen to your mother-I mean girlfriend." Ok, that's the last straw. Tackling the big oaf, he and I fly down (mostly over) the porch steps and land in the sand. Pinning him to the ground, I roll up my sleeve, ready to punch his lights out. Suddenly two other kids are there, at his legs. Soon more kids stop their games and are making the Humanoid Typhoon their play thing. Vash tries to get up, catching me off guard. I tumble off just as all the kids dog pile. 

Staggering backwards to the steps, I stare at the horror before me. "Jeez-um-crow…" I mumble, collapsing next to Millie, who of course is smiling like nothing is wrong. "Its like watching piranhas…" There goes a shoe…bye bye button. "Millie," I say, turning to her. "What's a piranha?"

"I don't know, Nicky."

"…"

~*~

Meryl smiles to herself as she climbs the creaking stairway. Reaching the hall, she turns in the direction of Wolfwood's room. She smiles again, finding the door open. "I am going to make sense of this if it kills me," she mutters, stepping inside. 

The open window swings in the breeze, smacking its frame. The messy bed, the covers scattered here and there, the discarded clothing, Meryl takes all these in. A little voice in the back of her head tells her calmly to turn around and go outside to save Vash, who's screams are drifting in from the window. Of course, she never listens to that voice, let alone knows she has it, seeing as a louder voice is screaming at her to take matters into her own hands. Diving for the nearest mess of covers, the insurance girl shakes the fabric violently. When nothing falls out, she moves on to the next clump. Passing by Millie's discarded pack, a flash of brown catches the short woman's eye. Meryl looks harder, seeing the brown is really a leather book. 

"Where did Millie get this?" Meryl asks, standing up with the book in hand. As she does so, a page falls out and drifts to the ground. After retrieving it, Meryl's eyes widen. "It's a note," she says to herself, opening it.  She instantly recognizes the priest's Thomas-scratch handwriting.

'Millie,

This bible is yours if my promise is broken.

I love you, 

Wolfwood.'

"Meryl! What are you doing?!"

Jumping ten feet in the air, Meryl spins around to see little Wolfwood at the door. His eyes hit the book in her hands and widen. "I…was getting the sheets to clean," Meryl says weakly, "and this book was on the floor."

"That's my…Millie's bible," Nick stutters. "I came up here to…give it to her personally…"

"Rather then leave it to her as her only link to you?" Meryl finishes, unsteady. Wolfwood shakes his head.

"I left something for her she will love longer then my memory in the Father's word."

~*~   

"Nicky! Where have you been?" 

Returning to the steps, I plop down next to Big Girl, bible in hand. "Here," I say, handing it to her. "A gift."

"What's this?" she asks, taking it from me gently. She looks down at it in awe. "It's so big…"

"It's my Bible, Millie," I say weakly. What a lame gift this is. Millie doesn't want a book. Dammit. Sheepishly, I rub the back of my neck. "It was mine…and now it's yours and…"

"THANK YOU MISTER PRIEST!" Pulling me into a monster hug, Millie giggles. "I've never gotten a book for a gift! Thank you!" Even the kids pulling Vash limb from limb stop to stare at Big Girl's screaming. Letting me out of the death hold, she races upstairs, yelling something like 'Igonnagoreaditrightnow!' over her shoulder. 

"I think…she liked it.

~*~*~

Blu: twas a short chapter, sorry

TK: had to be done

Blu: the next one will be longer, I promise. 

~*~

Wolfwood: Mistakes. Everyone makes them, for everyone is human. It is the size of the mistakes the can change the course of one's future. Chess is a game of wits and strategy. It is not some simple game of chance, leaving you life up to the luck of the draw. No. In chess, you rely on yourself. There is no other element then your own choices. One wrong move, and the king is lost. Big mistakes on a little black and white board. I learned the hard way, the world is not black and white.

**Next Chapter: Forgive and Forget or Regret ** 


	6. Forgive and Forget or Regret

Blu: NO!!!

TK: WHAT?!

Blu: MY RECORDING OF TRIGUN HAS BEEN TAPED OVER?!

TK: OMIGOD! …thank the reviewers 

Blu: …but I want to morn more…

TK: NOW!

Blu: oh fine…

Hustino- I always love your reviews ^^ thankies!

Ali1- …I hope Millie can read too…THANKIES FOR THE REVIEW!

Blu: that's it

TK: yupp…now do the chapter

Blu: no duh…

Read, Review, and Wait, the three things that happen on this site.

~*~*~

**Chapter Six: Forgive and Forget or Regret**

Meryl sighs as she sits by the bewildered Wolfwood. "She liked it, I'm guessing," she says, straitening her cape.

"How did you know?" he asks.

"She attacked me on the stairs screaming something about how great you are," she replies, running a hand through her now wild hair.

"Ah."

"NICKY! HEEEEEEEEEELP!!!" 

Attention pulled to the pile of scrambling children, Nick sighs and trots over to the mound. Taking a deep breathe, he dives into the pile. Two seconds later, the former priest reemerges with a handful of gold hair. Hope rises in Meryl's stomach, but dies when Wolfwood raises his hand, showing the hair is no longer connected to the Stampede's scalp. That would explain the yelp of pain. Giving up, Wolfwood jumps out of the mound again and sits next to Meryl. After another twenty minutes of 'Kill-the-Outlaw', the boys and girls get tired of ripping the Humanoid Typhoon to shreds and break off into groups again. Vash, who is now missing most of his buttons, sits there in the sand, dazed. Just as he gets up to sit on the porch, Millie burst through the door. "LUNCH TIME!" she yells, calling the children from play. Before Vash can even utter a yelp, he's trampled by the rushing kids. Meryl and little Wolf stare at the twitching mound of flesh that kinda looks like their $$60 billion friend…but not really. Meryl gets up to scrap the poor outlaw off the front yard just as Millie sits next to her mini priest. "Mr. Vash was playing with the kids, huh?" 

Nick smiles, moving into her lap. "Yeah…"

"Well," Millie chirps, shooting up. Nick tumbles from her lap and lands face first into the sand. "Lunch is ready, Mr. Vash!" She waves a hand to the staggering outlaw and turns around the leave. Opening the door, she stops and turns to Wolfwood, who is pulling himself back onto the steps. "What's wrong, Nicholas?" she asks, completely clueless.

The priest gives his Big Girl a strange look but shakes it off before answering. "I'm fine, Millie," he says, standing up to full height. "I'll be there in a minute." The insurance girl smiles and exits via the open door (which is about to fall off the hinges from the stampede two seconds ago). Sighing for the billionth time today, Wolfwood turns to the other insurance girl to see if she has made any progress in getting the blob at her feet in any condition for walking. Sadly, the only thing he sees is Meryl chucking her shoe at the deformed man. 

"Jackass," she mutters as she passes the chibi on the porch. Vash literally pulls himself together and crawls back up the steps.

"You're so cold!" he yells after her just as she slams the door behind her. This, of course, was a very bad idea, seeing as the door was just barely on its frame as it was. The poor hunk of wood falls over and lands on the dusty porch, revealing a very embarrassed Meryl. The heads popping out of the kitchen snicker.

"VASH! YOU IDIOT!" Meryl screams. "LOOK WHAT YOU DID!" With that, she storms off, past Millie and the other children poking out of the kitchen. 

"But Sempai," Millie says, looking up at her friend as she passes, "didn't _you _break the-"

"Not _now_ Millie." 

"Okay…"

Smiling at the insurance girl's antics, Wolfwood stands up to leave, but is stopped when Vash grabs his arm. "Not you," he says, meeting the boy in the eyes. "I have something to ask you."

~*~

"I have something to ask you."

Dammit, here it is.

"What about?" I ask, ripping my arm free. Vash lets out a sigh, searching for the words.

"How…how do you know about Knives?" he asks slowly. "Why did you know where to find him and…"

"Because I work for him," I say cutting him off. The gun man lets out a sharp gasp, putting two and two together. I ignore it and turn around, heading for the door. "Now if you don't mind, I want some lun-"

"Wait!" The Stampede yells, twisting around. Grabbing my arm again, he pulls me back to the steps. "So it was all a lie?!" he all but screams. 

"Ow Vash, that hurts!" I snap, trying to jerk my arm away. 

"Please, Nick," he pleads, making me look at him. "Tell me, was it a lie? Our friendship? you and Millie?  All of it?! Please tell me this all isn't a game planned up by my brother and that mad-man!"

"None of that is a lie!" I snap, wrenching my arm free. Taking a long breath, I sit down next to Vash, cradling my head in my hands. "None of it…including your brother and Legato…" The Stampede's eyes widen. "I really hoped it never would have come to this."

"So…were you appointed to pick me off when I was weak or something?" he asks, choking back tears. What a friggin drama-queen.

"No," I reply. "My job was to protect you…that included cleaning up after you…"

"You mean you-"

"-I finished every Gung ho you didn't have the heart to."

The blonde gives a disgusted shudder. "How…how could you?!" 

"It was that or let you and girls get killed!" I scream, shooting up. "If I didn't clean up your mess, you would be dead along with everything that matters to the both of us. My job was to keep that from happening! Don't you see?! I had no other choice!" 

"When did you get that order?" he asks behind me.

"Two weeks after the caravan."

I can hear his head snap up. "You mean our first meeting, the shooting contest, all of it was-" 

"A complete twist of fate," I finish, pulling into a sitting position. I let out a lungful of air I didn't know I was holding before continuing. "A month or so before I ever met you, Legato and my…teacher came to get my alliance with the Gung hos, but I refused and ran. I never thought of coming back until…until I met Millie. After what she did at the Caravan, I knew I had to go back. When I did…" Trailing off, I tug my knees to my chest, burying my head in them. After a moment of word searching, I reemerge to finish the story. "I came back to find the place all but destroyed. The kids were gone and most of the orphanage was in ruins…" I pause, fighting for my composer. "Legato…Legato assured me that if I found you and carried out his orders, the kids would be safe…along with Millie."

"So you found me and now this?" Vash asks. I nod, avoiding his eyes. 

"I knew you were no ordinary  priest, I just didn't know how unordinary!"

Both of us jump, spinning around to see who is at the doorway. To our horror, it's both of the insurance girls leaning on the empty frame. Meryl looks somewhat sober, but doesn't seem to have completely calmed down from earlier. Millie, on the other hand, is on the verge of tears. $$20 says they heard the whole thing. I get up, expecting Big Girl to run from me. "Millie," I say, my voice slightly shaking. "I can explain…"

"OH NICK! I AM SO SORRY YOU HAD TO GO THROUGH THAT!" She screams, pulling me into a very unexpected (and very bone-crushing) hug. Letting go of me, Millie sits back, wiping a tear away. 

"I can't believe that evil man did that!" Turning my gaze from Millie, I see Meryl sitting on her knees, fists clinched. "How could he!?" Okay, this is just weird.

"HEY!" Vash calls, alone in his little corner of the porch. "WHERE IS MY SYMPATHY?!" His answer is Meryl's other shoe in the face. 

"There's your sympathy, you dumb Needle Noggin!" 

~*~*~

Blu: YAY! I WAS WAITING FOR THAT CHAPTER!

TK: …you are a sick and twisted person, Blu-chan

Blu: it comes with the job! Before I forget, remember to sing the Genocide song in your reviews so those mean animators get the hint that offing Wolfwood was bad!

TK: you better do as she says, she has a flamethrower…somewhere…  

~*~

Wolfwood: 'Bless the Beasts and the Children, for in this world they have no voice, they have no choice.

'Bless the Beasts and the Children, for this world can never be the world they see.

'Guild their way when the darkness surrounds them.

'Give them love, let is shine all around them.

'Bless the Beasts and the Children. 

'Give them shelter from a storm.

'Keep them safe…Keep them warm…'

**Next Chapter: Bless the Beasts and the Children**


	7. Bless the Beasts and the Children

Blu: gah, I am SO sorry it took so damn long. You all must hate me! XD

TK: no they don't

Blu: FINE! …it was all TK's fault anyway. A week ago he just got up and left, leaving me with a major writer's block AND no muse.

TK: …I am now open to all shoe chucking

Blu: you better step up to this offer folks, TK wanting to get hit with shoes comes only once in a life time…unless he ups and leaves again!

Hustino- HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Anywho, thankies for the great reviews and enjoy.

BatBabe1- (chapter five) Tis nothing to worry about, I am confused quite easily. I know that one was too short, but I warned you! XD

KittyHakubi- first off, I read your stories, and I have to say THAT WAS GREAT! EVERYONE GO READ THEM NOW! Anywho, thankies for liking both chapters and we all know how annoying FF.NET is XD

Ali10- …that was a very interesting version of the genocide song…must be the Japanese version…ANYWHO! Thankies for the review and they better as hell tremble!! MWHAHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHA –evil laughter has been cued XD-

Emily- YAY!!!! Thankies for finally reading my story, it means a lot

Kitara (formally known as Wolfwood&MillieFangirl)- I am so glad you have hopped back on the band wagon! For a while there I almost thought TK decided to be a dumb ass and push you off

TK: ok, for one, we don't HAVE a band wagon, and two, I don't kick ANYONE out of a band wagon, especially if we don't have one to start with!

Blu: touchy touchy

Black Betty- I'm sorry this is so confusing. Well, I'll try to answer your questions the best I can. As for Nick's body, it stopped breathing shortly after chibi Nick was found and they buried it. As for Nick being a kid, tis still a mystery!

Largosan- …-slowly backs away from the gun- g-glad you like it there…just what ever you do…DON'T slip…(-is happy someone remembered the song-)

Blu: ok, that's everyone! ...damn, a whole page just to thank you peeps...KEEP IT UP!

Read, Review, and Wait, the three things that happen on this site.

* * *

**Chapter Seven: Bless the Beasts and the Children**

* * *

"Nicholas? What word is this?"

Looking up from his lunch, Wolfwood skims the page infront of him. "That's 'Enmity'," he says, returning to his sandwich. Nodding, Big Girl settles back into her reading. After another page turn or so, she lightly taps Wolfwood in the arm again.

"And _this _one?" she asks, pointing as she lowers the book to her boyfriend's level.

Squinting at the page, little Nick raises an eyebrow. "That's 'the', Millie," he replies, worrying for his love's mental health.

"No," she says, unfazed. "THAT one." Thrusting her finger back into the book, she underlines the word with her fingernail.

"Oh, 'cherubim'."

Meryl and Vash exchange glances…again. For the second time today, everyone is side stepping what just happened two some minutes ago. The only difference, if you over look the meal, is that Millie is reading her new leather bound book. This alone is a call for alarm although, luckily, nothing has blown up. She sits there, a mound of pudding to her right, and her little 'bible buddy' to her left, and seems quite content. Opening up another package, the large insurance girl sets down her book, face up. Taking a quick peek down at the page number, the Humanoid Typhoon nearly has a heart attack.

"PAGE 362?!" he screams, making everyone jump. "When did you get this?!"

"Around thirty minutes ago," Meryl and little Wolf reply in unison, not even fazed enough to look up from their meal.

Millie giggles. "I'm a speed demon!" The larger female at the table beams before thrusting a spoon full of pudding into her mouth. Letting out a defeated sigh, the outlaw across from her raises his hands in defeat, causing the little kids around the table to snicker. Once again returning to her new book, Millie becomes engrossed into her reading. Before long the small table is incased in silence, side the occasional page turn and the munching of donuts and sandwiches. Soon everyone is finished and the position for dishes is up for grabs. Slowly a few hands arise for the offer, one being owned by Little Nick. Seeing he's off the hook for the job, Vash stands up and walks outside with the rest of the kids…but not before giving Nick a noogie. Millie giggles and does the same, only lighter, on her way out. Grumbling to himself, the mini preacher wiggles out of his chair and stomps over to his job.

* * *

"Here," a boy says, handing me soaked cup. "You're on dryer duty." I nod, taking the glass. I glance around the taller boy, seeing someone about my age handing the dishes to him.

"So," the other boy says as he turns to me. "Do you have anymore info to tell us about that preacher dude?"

"Who?" I ask stupidly.

"I thought you would know him," the older one counters. "You ARE named after him, aren't you?" I blink. He doesn't know I AM him…

"Oh…THAT preacher," I mumble stupidly, my eyes retreating to the wet cup in my hands.

"I guess you didn't get along with your dad much."

I nearly drop the glass. "What?!"

"Its not hard to see the resemblance," he replies matter-o-factly. "You look a lot like him AND Miss Millie. Besides, we all saw how happy she was to see you last night."

I grit my teeth. I better go with this or we could all be in deep shit. "Yeah, well, I never really met my dad…I just…umm…up and left before I got too…um…yeah."

"Yeah, I know the feeling," the boy hands me another dish to clean as I set down the cup I've been holding this whole time.

"Well, I _always_ knew Miss Millie and Mr. Wolfwood had something going," the other boy says proudly.

"Not this again…" the other boy almost laughs before ruffling the hair of the shorter one. They must be brothers or something…

"But it's true!"

* * *

"HEY! INSURANCE GIRL! HEEEEEEEEEEELP!!!"

Millie turns around from her place on the steps to see her Typhoon friend being once again torn to bits by the very hyper, and now very full, kids. She smiles and waves to him like nothing is wrong at all. Hearing foot steps behind her, she turns around to see Meryl trotting from the doorway. "Isn't that nice, Sempai?" she asks, smiling sweetly. "Mr. Vash is being put in strangle holds but the children again."

"Yeah…nice," Meryl mummers as she sits down on the steps. Opening her typewriter, she begins to tare away at the keys. Leaning over her shoulder, the taller of the two reads the print slowly appearing over the pale page.

"Whatcha writin'?" Millie asks.

"Routine report, Millie," the short insurance woman says without even looking up. "We've been in need to send one for ages."

"Ah." With that, Big Girl reopens her book, and both go back to ignoring the shouts of pain and requests for help coming from the general direction of the dog pile.

"Miss Millie?"

The large insurance girl looks up startled, the book almost falling off her lap. She grabs at it franticly, but she misses and it falls to the dusty earth. A cloud of dust rises and covers most of the steps. Meryl coughs, trying to shield her paper work from the flying sand. "Millie!" she yells. "Watch it!"

"I'm sorry!" a little girl cries, first being noticed by the two. She sweeps up the bible and trusts it at Millie as if a peace offering. "Sorry I startled you, Miss Millie!"

"Oh, it's fine," Millie says sheepishly. "I've just been a little dense lately, that's all."

"That's 'tense', Millie," Meryl corrects. "_Tense_."

"Oh, right," Millie says before stomping her foot childishly. "Darn it, I hate being wrong." The little girl giggles, still holding the book in her hands. Millie picks it up gently and sets it back down next to her. Meryl sighs as if tired of correcting her friend, but still smiles as she returns to typing away on the keyboard.

"I really am sorry I scared you," the girl says awkwardly as she traces a circle in the sand with her shoe. "But I wanted to ask you about last night."

Meryl filches. _It's finally coming out…_

The little girl leans close to Millie, as if not wanting the other little boys and girls to hear what she's saying, even though they are still having too much fun ripping the poor 'Localized Disaster' to pieces to hear anything. "Is Nick your…"

Meryl held her breath.

"…Son?"

"GAH!"

"OH, SEMPAI!"

* * *

"Gah, now my hands are all wrinkly."

"Hi Nicky," Millie chirps happily, not looking up from her new book. I'm really glad she likes that. I was almost sure that would back fire in my face.

"Hey, Nick," Meryl says turns around from her spot next to Big Girl. I can make out her little portable type writer on her lap. Haven't seen that in a while. "I need to talk you." I blink as she pulls me away. I guess this is a good enough time as any to tell her about the conversation at the sink.

"They think you're/I'm her kid," we say at the same time. We blink. "They do?" we say in unison again. "Stop that!" Together again. "No you! KNOCK IT OFF!"

"You two are fun to watch," Millie says quietly behind us. We turn around sheepishly then sadly hang our heads. Big Girl giggles before dragging me back to the steps.

* * *

Blu: that was fun...tho i hate these stupid new divior thingies...

TK: I'm sorry I left, everyone

Blu: -looks at TK- …why are you wearing a giant bulls eye?

TK: …for the chucking of the shoes to come. I am still up for hitting. Go ahead, all, I will stand still for every shoe but cleats and high heels.

Blu: this will be good.

* * *

Wolfwood: A friend once asked me if my faith really worked. I smiled and told him that redeemers will be saved in the end, but I really didn't know what to think. He took it as an answer none the less. From then on I questioned myself if I was really what was right in the name of God. After awhile I forgot about it, but somehow it was always in the back of my head. Is this the amazing grace of God finally catching up with me? I hope so.

**Next Chapter: Amazing Grace for Dummies**


	8. Amazing Grace for Dummies

TK: …-has a bloody nose-

Blu: -snicker snicker snicker-

TK: shut it

Blu: -snicker- fine -snicker-

Hustino- Well, needless to say your review made my day…but I hate to say that TK dodged all but two of the cleats. If you say that in rhythm, tis a rhyme!

Black Betty- Well, I'm glad I could answer your questions. If you have anymore go ahead and ask away

XSRX – so are you a Naruto fan? Nvm. Anywho, thankies for reading my fic for your first Trigun one . The chapter title is actually a song I sing at my voice lessons. –loves that song to bits-

Ali10- Glad you liked it babe! If this works out well, then yessh, awkward moments are sure to come!

TK: -is hit with the shoes- ow

Blu: way to live up to your name, Shoe Magnet

TK: shut up

Largosan- …oh shit…um…you really don't have to sing the song anymore…I mean you can if you want to…um…CRAP! –runs away-

Sanosuke4ever- …did you do all of that by MEMORY!? Jeez, you must have quite the memory there…I can't even SAY half of that! (TK: get to the point) oh yeah…I'm sorry this is so confusing. If you have any questions, I will be glad to answer! Thankies for reading!

NintendoKat- Thankies for readin'! I'm so happy so many people like this! Wolfwood kicks ass, and we all know it! W00t!

Blu: that's all of them!

Read, Review, and Wait, the three things that happen on this site.

* * *

**Chapter Eight: Amazing Grace for Dummies**

* * *

"This looks great, girls!"

All of the little girls around the square table blush. "We just followed what Miss Meryl told us to do," Sarah says, talking more to the table then to the typhoon that addressed her. It's Meryl's turn to blush. Millie and her humanoid friend exchange glances after looking at the red folding over the shorter woman's face and smile at the other.

"Shut up, you," Meryl whispers to Vash after jabbing him in the stomach. He smiles weakly while holding his tummy and turns away to go for the innocent look. Nick and Millie snicker, only earning glares from the midget. "I said, shut it!" she snaps.

"Well, with out further adieu!" Vash says as he raises his spoon into the air, "LET'S DIG-"

"Not so fast!" Millie cuts in, standing up. Vash looks at her confused before dropping his arm back onto the table. "We haven't said 'grace', yet," Big Girl says, scolding Vash as if it was his fault they all never did it in the first place. Everyone at the table exchange glances until their collective gaze falls on one Nicholas D. Wolfwood II, who raises his hands as if to explain he had nothing to do with his 'Mother's' behavior. Deciding to shrug it off, they all turn back to Millie.

"Grace," everyone says at once before scooping into the meal at full force.

"NOT LIKE THAT!" the stun-gun touting insurance girl screams, sending everyone into a frenzy. Stopping to catch her composer, and to make sure she has everyone's undivided attention, Millie takes a deep breath then continues. "We have been given a lot of things we don't deserve in this life time, one being my Nicky's return, and I think we all need to thank the Lord for such things," she says quickly. She opens her eyes, smiling at her own little speech, only to see the whole table staring up at her and blinking blankly. "Now, who's first?"

"I VOTE WOLFWOOD GOES!" the Localized Disaster yells, perking up. He turns to the seven year old across from him, who is gapping widely, and smiles his 'this-is-what-you-get-for-turning-Millie-into-this' smile. He's returned with a 'I'll-get-you-in-your-sleep' glare. Turning to Millie, little Nick tries to find a reason for him not having to go first, but the tall insurance girl shakes her head and gives him the 'your-first-buddy-now-deal-with-it' finger shake. He lets out a defeated sigh and pushes out of his chair.

"I want to thank God for guiding me back to Millie and all my friends," he says quickly and mainly to his soup bowl. A few boys snicker, but thanks to the glaring every girl returns them with, they let off. Blushing extremely, Nick climbs back into his seat and tries to hide his face under his long, black bangs.

"Umm…" another boy says, slowly raising his hand. "C-can…can I go next?" he asks, sheepishly. Millie claps her hands together in joy before nodding happily down at him. "Umm…ok…I want to thank God for giving us this food so we wont starve."

"I want to thank God too!" a little girl says, standing up quickly.

"Me too!" another interrupts. Millie smiles but shakes her head.

"I think we have had enough tonight," she replies sweetly, ruffling the hair of the standing boy next to her. "You can each have a turn at breakfast tomorrow. It's getting late and I think you all have had a fun day so we all need to get to bed!

"I know you all want to get up BRIGHT and EARLY to play out side again, so I think it's the best thing just to get to bed as soon as possible so we have as much time to play, does that sound good?" Millie smiles, finished with her little speech. The kids nod, some a little more bummed out then others, but all understanding. Big Girl giggles, clapping her hands together again happily. "Great!" she chimes, sitting back down and scooting her chair back into place. "Now what are we having?"

* * *

No matter how many times I run it through my head, I can't seem to get what that kid said out of my mind. That thing about me and Millie looking similar. Even looking down into my soup I can see the resemblance. I still have the same pointed nose and the same deep, black hair, but it's parted down the middle now instead of to the side. My skin is lighter, almost exactly Millie's shade, and even my eyes are a mixture of the two of ours. All of this is giving me a head ache.

More so then that, is the fact I've been keeping to myself more then usual. This whole thing is freaking me out WAY too much. I really need to loosen up! God, some how, gave me a second chance and I have to use it to it's fullest…

…even if I'm only three something…

…oh chripes.

"Are you ok, Nicholas?" Millie asks beside me. "You haven't touched your soup. If you want to grow up big and strong, you have to eat!"

"I know," I say, raising my head. "I was just thinking."

"Uh oh, Nick was thinking, guys!" A boy across from me says, nudging the shoulder of the girl next to him. "His head might explode!" A couple giggles erupt from the kids sitting around the table.

I stare dumbfounded to about two seconds. Are the kids finally warming up to me? This might be fun. It takes me a minute to figure out I've been laughing the whole time. "Ah hahaha…heh heh…um…yeah," I mumble. Everyone is staring at me now. Way to go, Mr. Dumb-ass Preacher Man.

* * *

"So it's just you and me on the dishes tonight?"  
  
I look up at Vash and smile before setting down the glass in my hand and taking the dish from his. "Yeah," I mumble, running the bowl in my towel covered hands. "Did you zone out when Millie was giving her whole 'get to bed early' speech?" The Stampede hands me another glass, shaking his head.  
  
"What the hell is in that book you gave her?" he asks, staring down at me.  
  
"It's the bible," I huff, snatching away the cup. "It's the word of God. She must've found something in there that made her want to have grace tonight or something. I donno."

"…did _you_ used to say grace?" he asks, pausing with his hands under the sink. I hesitate, letting my vision blur. Did I? I can't remember…

"I think I used to…" I mumble, letting my eyes wander back to my now taller friend. "But it was a long time ago. I can't remember…"

"What…what _do_ you remember?"

"…I remember gunshots and target practice," I say slowly, forming the words in my mouth before saying them. "Old churches and…and graves." Why can't I remember more? What's the matter with my memory? I used to be able to remember more…

"Are you guys planning on going to bed any time soon?"

Both of us jump. Spinning around, there is Meryl and Millie, both ready for bed. Meryl taps her foot, her arms crossed. Millie just stands there, looking down at me and yawning. "Aren't you coming, Nicholas?" she asks halfway through her yawn. I slightly blush.

"Uh…yeah," I sputter, turning back to the glass in my hands and starting to dry it in double time. "Yeah, Vash, hurry up!"

"…That's so cold."

* * *

Slipping the nightshirt/dress Vash had lent me the night before on, I let my mind wander where it chooses. That, of course, means I'm thinking about Millie. Just as I get really into my reminiscing, she comes in. "You should brush your teeth, Nicky," she says, a toothbrush dangling out of her mouth. "You don't want your teeth to rot, do you?" Jumping onto the bed, I let out a defeated sigh.

"Fine," I mumble, pulling my bag into view. After a moment of rummaging, I pull out one hell of a beat up toothbrush, it's bristles stained with yellow and its handle covered with grime. At least it's in better shape then Vash's. Hopping back down to the floor, I scurry off to the now open bathroom.

A few minutes later I return, mouth foaming. "Dis good?" I say around my toothbrush. Big Girl nods, giggling. I smile under the bubbles dripping from my mouth then quickly return to the bathroom to get rid of them. When I return, there she is with her bible laid out in her lap. Not seeming to know I reentered, she sits there, skimming what seems to be the last page. Damn she reads fast, but I really wouldn't put ANYTHING past her. She's beaten that into me by kicking my ass at chess too many damn times. Without looking up from her reading, she takes the pink ribbon in her hands and ties her hair into a low ponytail over her shoulder.

"I don't get this," she mumbles to herself.

"Get what?" I ask, announcing my presence for the first time. She jumps, the book bouncing in her lap. "Sorry."

"No, I'm fine," she says smiling. "In fact, I kinda need your help."

"What for?" I ask, sitting on the bed next to her. Smiling, she moves the bible down to my eye level, a few handwritten lines coming into view.

My handwriting.

"What's this poem about?" she asks, turning to me. I read the lines slowly, mouthing them along as I go.

"It's…it's not a poem, Millie," I reply slowly, "it's a song." Taking my index finger, I underline the first two words. " 'Amazing Grace'," I whisper, brushing over the fading ink. "It's about the power of the Word of God, of the Holy Spirit," I say louder, turning my face up to see Millie's reaction. She seems really into this. "This song tells of the power the Holy Spirit has on people." Looking up again, I see her nod, her eyes moving back and forth over the page. "According to legend, the person who wrote this song used to kill Christians but then was given the Holy Spirit and came to Jesus. He then realized his wrongs and wrote this song. Out of all the songs in the old texts, this one is most highly recognized and loved…along with another one about Jesus' cross…but I forgot the name…"

"Do you know the tune?" she asks, meeting my eyes. I smile and nod before returning to the page.

"Amazing grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like meee," I sing, pausing. Millie looks down at me hopefully, and closing my eyes I start again. "I once was lost, but now I am found. Was blind but now I see." Opening one eye I look up at her. "It just repeats the tune, so if you want you can sing the rest with me." She smiles and quickly nods. I guess she likes sing-a-longs.

"Twas grace that taught my heart to fear, and grace my fear relieved. How precious did that grace appear the hour I first believed.

"Through many dangers, toils, and snares I have already come…" Millie's voice begins to fade as a few yawns escape her. I drop out, letting her finish in her own beautiful sleepy voice. "…tis grace hath…brought me safe thus far…and grace…will lead me…home." Laying back, Big Girl falls on her pillow, pretty much out. I smile, letting her last words hang in the air as I pull the covers over her. She has a glorious singing voice. Snuggling next to her, I let her calm breathing lull me to sleep.

"…demon…"

The word makes my eyes shoot open. Feeling the vibrations on my back is proof that that came from Millie, but…

"My demon is coming," she mumbles sleepily. "He has returned…take heed…and repent." At a loss of breath, I can feel a sudden string of pain run through the wound in my chest. How can that be? I'm not in that body anymore…

…unless…

"…damn you, Legato."

* * *

Blu: SEVEN PAGES! NEW RECORD!

TK: GO BLU-CHAN!

Blu: sorry it took so long, guys! Writers block decided to move in and I just now got the guts to kick him to the curb…and my foot still hurts.

TK: …I am still up for shoe throwing for anyone who HASN'T thrown some yet. That means no more, Hustino.

Hustino: awe man!

* * *

Wolfwood: There is such a thing as a loss for words. It can be because of great happiness or great joy, but it can also be for great sorrow. As we all climbed into the seats of our beat up car and head away from the deserted city, I found myself at a loss for words. There is so much one wants to say, but to find the words might cause more pain. As the dunes passed, I found my voice and spoke. I asked the question no one could answer, the question no one wanted to hear. What can you do when you demand an answer no one can give? No one wants to give?

**Next Chapter: Vastly Overrated. **


	9. Vastly Overrated

Blu: well, sorry for the evil, EVIL cliffy, but I was already farther along then I planned

TK: YAY! No one hit me with sh-is beaned in the head by a sketchers-

Blu: -is missing her left shoe- SHUT UP! I have to thank the reviewers!

Black Betty- HEY! You beat Hustino! Way to go! Anywho, here is the next chapter, so that damn cliffy is over

Hustino- PLEASE DON'T HURT ME! –hides from the shoes- HERES THE CHAPTER! SPARE MEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!

Otaku Sarri- yay! Another reader! Either that or my memory is getting the better of me XD Anywho, if you want to know if Wolfwood is gonna ever get back to normal, you'll just have to keep reading this, wont you? As for them having a kid…

Tongarisangel- yupp! Legato sucks ass. I hate him man! HE KILLED MY WOLFIE! Well, enough about crying psycho's with poor depth perception, thankies for the review, although I hate to say your question on his demon might take awhile to be answered.

Ryoko Kashino- I'm really glad you like this! WM ROCKS! LONG LIVE THEM!! (TK: BLU-CHAN!) oh right XD Thankies for the review! I will try my best!

Ali10- I'm glad TK didn't kick anyone off of the b-

TK: WE DON'T HAVE A BAND WAGON DAMMIT!

Blu: …testy testy. Anywho, thankies for the review!

Blu: I believe that's everyone!

Read, Review, and Wait, the three things that happen on this site.

* * *

**Chapter Nine: Vastly Overrated**

* * *

"VASH! GET UP!"

Opening his left eye, Vash the Stampede looks up at me still half asleep. "What is it, Wolfwood?" he asks, his voice braking into a long yawn. Sitting up, he peers out the window. He turns back to me, eyebrows cocked. "It has to be like one in the morning," he mumbles, his hand rubbing the feeling back into his half-asleep face, either that or getting the sleep out of his eyes.

"Legato knows I'm here," I say, cutting to the case. Vash's eyes shoot open. He turns to me, mouth flapping open. "Yeah, I don't know how, but he does…And he's close," I add, looking him in the eyes.

"How do you know that?"

"He spoke to me through Millie," I reply. "He only has control of a 100 ile radius…it pays to work for guys like him at some point." Once again his eyes widen to twice their normal size. Turning around, I head for the door. "Get the kids up, I'll get Meryl and Millie." Though I can't see him, I know he nodded at my command.

I just hope it's not too late…

Strapping his boots into place, Vash stands up off of his bed and heads for the door. "Some peace and quiet…that's all I ask," he mumbles under his breath as he swings the bag propped by the exit over his shoulder. "Just a little home time…jeez." He closes the door and heads down the dark hall. "It has to be like one a-friggin-m, for Pete Sake's," he whines, placing his golden sunglasses on the brim of his nose. "This friggin sucks." Coming to the end of the hallway, he stops infront of the children's room. "Ok, kiddies!" he says, grabbing the door knob and pushing the door open. "It's time to get up and…"

"Oh God…"

* * *

"I don't understand! How could he know you're here?"

"Like hell I know," I say, leaning on Meryl's door. She lets out a sigh.

"What ever happened to some peace and quiet!?" she yells to no one in particular. Millie and I stare blankly. "This is all yours and Vash's fault, you know. You two can't stay out of trouble long enough for Millie and I to rest!"

"I'm sorry we are so reckless, miss perfect," I snap. "You aren't really too pure when it comes to staying out of said trouble."

"What the hell are you talking about?! All we do is save your asses!"

"Nicholas! Meryl! KNOCK IT OFF!"

We both spin around to look at Millie, who is blushing extremely. "Umm…I mean…this is no time to be arguing! We need to get going so…yeah." Nice recovery, Big Girl.

"Yeah, you're right, Millie," I say, swinging my bag over my shoulder. "We should be heading out." Meryl lets out a huff of frustration, but finishes strapping her typewriter to that little pink travel bag of her's all the same. Heading single file out the door, all three of us head for the stairs. Looking down the hall, I can make out the back of our Humanoid friend standing in the dark doorway of the kid's room. "Yo, Needle Noggin'!" I call, stopping. The two insurance agents pause as well. "What the hell are you doing? We need to go!" He doesn't move. He just stands there in the doorway. "What's the big idea, Vash?!" Walking over to him, I can make out his shoulders quivering against the black back drop. Why the hell is he crying? Millie and Meryl follow suit and soon all four of us are standing at the doorway. "What the hell is your problem, Vash?" I ask, turning to him. The gunman raises his hand, pointing into the darkness. Peering in, I let my eyes adjust.

Millie screams as Meryl buries her head into Vash's chest. I let a gasp of confusion and disgust.

Now I know why Vash was crying…

There, littering the floor of the room, are the mangled corpses of the children we took in from that deserted city. Pools of blood have formed around their little bodies, most face down in them. Sticking out of every carcass are millions of needles, most imbedded in the skull. Millie lets out another scream of horror. I guess she reopened her eyes. It's dark, but I can make out some of the more gruesome cadavers. Some are missing their heads, others are missing limps or even complete halves. I step out of the door's light to let it streak across the blood splattered walls. Running my fingers along said wall, I can feel the deep red liquid beneath them. It was a slaughter.

"There wasn't any fight," I say, calmer then I should be. "I knew he knew…" Whipping my hand off on a clean part of the wall, I say a small prayer under my breath. "Dear Lord…"

Is this the demon's work?

Why now? Why them?

Damn you, Legato…

* * *

It's finally light out. We've been driving for hours, and if you ask me darkness and silence aren't the best combination in the world. In fact, it's the worst. I hate silence. It's damn annoying.

But I don't know what to say.

But who said that's ever stopped me before?

"So…what do we do now?" I ask, breaking the deadly silence. Vash just buries himself farther into his shades, Meryl leans on the window like I never said anything, and Millie tries to keep from crying again. "We can't just run and think that will end it all! What do we do next?"

"Not now, Wolfwood," Vash says quietly.

"Then when?!" I ask, raising my voice. "You have to have a plan! _We_ have to have a plan! That demon is coming and-"

"NOT NOW!" Meryl snaps, turning around in her seat. I sit there, dazed. Her glare relaxes. "Just…not now…"

For the rest of the ride, I hold my tongue. It's as hard as hell…but they're right…now is not the time.

* * *

"Nick…are you ok?"

I turn to Millie. "Yeah, I'm fine," I say, trying to force a smile. "I just, yah know, gotta go."

"Go where?" she asks innocently.

"…To the bathroom," I reply, trying not to snap the answer. Sometimes Millie worries me. …DAMMIT I HAVE TO GO! Luckily, we've finally made it to a town. That means hotel, which means public toilets!

The second Vash pulls his keys out of the ignition, I rip myself from my seat belt (which Millie forced me into in the first place,) and bolt out the car door. "Wolfwood!" Meryl calls, opening her own door. "Where the hell are you going?"

Stopping just long enough to answer, I scream out my response. "Bathroom!" I yell back just before scrambling into the hotel we stopped at.

"He was acting kinda fidgety…"

* * *

Vash the Stampede, Meryl Stryfe, and Millie Thompson trudge half asleep into the hotel in front of them. As they enter, the bellhop behind the desk smiles.

"Was that young boy with you, miss?" he asks, his sweet smile directed to Millie.

"You mean Nicky?" Millie replies. The bellhop nods. "Yep, he's mine," she chirps, suddenly brightening, which throws the 60 billion bounty head beside her for a loop.

"You must be proud," the bellhop says, this time turning his grin on Vash, who is even more confused.

"Umm…he's…" the Humanoid Typhoon stammers, but before he can correct the smiling man behind the front desk, Millie hoops an arm around his waist.

"Yup! We sure are," Big Girl replies, giggling slightly. "Aren't we, honey?" she asks the now VERY confused outlaw. After a jab in the back from Meryl, everything finally clicks in the outlaws head, and he quickly takes a quick step closer to the tall insurance girl and wraps an arm around her as well.

"Sure are, dear," he blurts out, laughing nervously.

STILL smiling, the bellhop looks down at Meryl. "So you get to carry the bags today, huh?" he asks as if speaking to a small child instead of a 26 year old woman.

Taking a brief look down at the two suit cases in her hands, her's and Millie's, the smaller insurance girl turns back to the man behind the desk. "Yes, sir," she replies slowly, trying to keep her temper under control, "I get to carry the bags." Shocked that such a deep voice could come from such a short person, the bellhop finally looses his smile. Completely pissed, Meryl storms away, hoping to find some coffee.

"Awe, don't be like that, Sempai!" Millie calls, running after her partner.

"Umm…hey!" Vash, left stranded at the front desk, yells after them. "I don't have the money for our rooms! GUYS?!"

* * *

Blu: well… there's the tragedy for you…and there's more to come. Sorry I'm so sucky when it comes to describing something that…violent…but I'm trying!

TK: -still has a bloody nose- damn Hustino and his random shoes

Hustino: YOU'LL NEVER CATCH ME, SWORD BOY! I HAVE A CLOSET STASH RIGHT HERE IN MY ROOM, YEAH, SEE, YEAH!

* * *

Wolfwood: Another day begins in a small town in the middle of nowhere. Nothing too special, nothing too plain. Walking down the street, I loop my hand into Millie's, making her smile. Come home and eat a simple lunch, nothing too fancy, just some sandwiches. When the moons rise, just hop into bed and wait for night to end and another day together to begin. Some how I feel uneasy about this life, though. Is it because it's from the eyes of a child? Is it because that is what I'm seen as? Is it ok for us to be living such a entangled lie?

**Next Chapter: Flipside**


	10. Flipside

Blu: wow, fifty reviews!

TK: fifty EIGHT! …it's sad how many times that number has changed and you still haven't updated

Blu: SHUT UP! -is sooooo happy- THANKIES SO MUCH GUYS! I'M SO HAPPY YOU ALL LIKE THIS!

Hustino- Let's just say…a little birdie told me…

TK: Diablo caved

Blu: SHH! I'm glad you liked it, even tho it made you sad! THANKIES AGAIN, CONDOM BOY! –hides-

Black Betty- I knew someone would hate me for that! I'm really glad you're still reading tho! …what did you mean 'what was up with Wolfwood'? I would love to answer you…but I don't get what you mean…I'm so thick headed XD

Ryoko Kashino- You know, I pride myself on speed (TK: no you don't) Shuddup! Anywho, that other guy was my friend Hustino, he always beans my poor sword boy with shoes XD THANKIES FOR YOUR REVIEWS!

Kitara-Kama- I'm really glad you liked those chapters! Thankies for reviewing!

Tongarisangel- Well, I'm glad I could include you in my authors note! Besides, I can read minds! (TK: can not) SHUDDUP! Damn you, sword boy! Jeez. Tis MY Reviewers! Anywho, Thankies for the reviews!

Terry- Wolfwood KICKS ASS! Anywho, your question will be answered soon…

Otaku Sarri- BREATHE, girl, BREATHE! Ok, to answer your questions in order;

Wolfwood might return to normal, but you have to keep reading

Legato hasn't died yet, this happens RIGHT after episode 23

He did die by bang, tho

The Shoes are punishment for TK, caz the bastard up and left when I needed him most! (he's my muse, so I can't write without him)

And, finally, yessh I will update!

Dark-Pyro-Angel-2- Chapter Four: I'm glad you're finally a reader!

Chapter Five: heh! Bad me! I went and got you addicted!

Chapter Nine: I'm glad that, one, you strayed from the calling of VM to check this out and, two, thought this went with the 'better Trigun ones'! THANKIES AGAIN!

Paranoia Central- YAY! ANOTHER READER! DON'T GO! I'm sorry I made you cry! –hands you another shoe- Here, throwing really does help! Thankies for reading! It means much! And don't worry –puts on a REALLY fake/cheesy/fake-cheesy English accent- WE'RE ALL MAD HERE!

Blu: THANKIES ALL! It meant a lot for all of you telling me I did ok with the sad scene! THANKIES MUCH! And the thanking took up more then a page! GO YOU GUYS!

Read, Review, and Wait, the three things that happen on this site!

* * *

**Chapter Ten: Flipside**

* * *

"Awe Man!"

"Tenth Chess game of the night," I say in the best announce-type voice I can muster, "goes to…MILLIE THOPSON!" Grabbing up her hand, I thrust it into the air.

"YAY!" Big Girl cries out in joy before bursting into a giggle fit. Vash pouts on the other side of the board while Meryl gives her partner-in-crime a high-five.

"I told you, Vash," the shorter insurance girl says, giving the outlaw a self-satisfied grin, "you just can't beat Millie at chess."

"…Actually WOLFWOOD told me that," he corrects, earning himself a large bump on the back of his head. Rubbing his battered skull, the Humanoid Typhoon lets out a whimper. "You're so cold."

"Gee, Sempai, I never knew you two were on such friendly terms!" Big Girl jokes, fighting to hold back another wave of giggles. It must be some inside joke, because even Meryl is cracking. Soon all three are holding their sides, leaving me staring blankly.

"Uhh…did I miss something?" I ask, raising a hand. Meryl stands up, wiping the tears from her eyes.

"No, it's nothing," she replies, still laughing slightly. "Just Vash being an idiot."

"Me!? What did I do?" he asks, crossing his arms for the ultimate pout.

"YOU ONLY TACKLED ME OUT OF THE BLUE!" short girl screams back, bending down to yell in his face.

"He…_tackled _you?" I ask, unconvinced that Vash made such a bold move before meeting me. Everyone knows I was the one who corrupted his innocent little mind. "He tackled…_you_?"

"What does it matter?!" the Stampede asks, obviously uncomfortable about the subject. "Besides, it's late as it is." The Humanoid Typhoon sticks a thumb at the window, motioning to the moons. "We should hit the hay."

"I guess you're right," the insurance girl nearest to him says, picking up some of the trash scattered around our hotel room. Letting the small wad of garbage fall from her hands, Meryl plops down onto her lumpy bed and starts to dig through her bright pink travel bag. Millie lets out a long yawn before draping her arms over my shoulders.

"I'm sleepy!" she announces before breaking into another yawn.

"We did get up really early this morning," Meryl says, heading for the bathroom with her toothbrush in hand, "and I don't remember anyone sleeping on the ride over." As the door shuts behind her, the room slips into silence. The back of my mind replays what happened almost 24 hours prier. I don't think I'll get to sleep tonight.

I'm somewhat glad I can't say the same for Big Girl…

…who is snoozing sprawled out over my shoulders…

…but not really seeing as I can't move now, and that this body can't support her weight.

"Millie, hon, wake up!" I whisper, trying not to wake her up too suddenly. She doesn't budge. "Come on, Big Girl..." Letting out a sigh of defeat, I move to the last resort. "Pudding."

"What?" she asks sleepily, her head shooting off my shoulder.

"Nothing," I reply quickly, pulling out from under her. "Let's head to bed."

* * *

"So…what _are _we gonna do?"

Meryl lets out a sigh, cradling her coffee cup with both hands. "I-I don't know!" she blurts out, trying to keep all the emotions from this morning cooped up. "This getting out of hand."

"It's been out of hand, we've just choose to ignore it," Vash replies, resting his forearms on his chair back. He takes a quick look over to the beds some few feels away, making sure he didn't wake the two already sleeping before continuing. "But it seems this time the demon is handling things differently. All of the other were more straight foreword. It was in the house, but it didn't go for any of us…"

"Could it be this one isn't after you?" the insurance girl across from him asks, after a sip of her drink to think it over. "I mean, Legato's massage came to Wolfwood, not you."

"It's a possibility," Vash answers, removing himself from his chair, "but it would be unlike Legato to stray from my brother's orders." Meryl almost drops her cup.

"Your brother?" she asks, shooting up. "Your _brother's _the one who did of this?!" The outlaw on the other side of the table presses his index finger to his lips, motioning for her to 'take it down a notch'. Returning to her seat, the woman tries to hide her blush of embarrassment from her little outburst.

"Yeah, it's a total bummer," he whispers only loud enough for the two to hear. Vash stands up and heads for the room's corner where a crumpled blanket and pillow wait for him. "I think we should just lay low for a while; play it nice and slow. Night, insurance girl."

"Yeah, night."

* * *

"…sleepy head, get up!"

Groggily I open my left eye, searching for the source of the random voice. Noon-day sun streams in from the windows, the bright light making my one open eye squint. "What time is it?" I ask, sounding more asleep then awake.

"About two in the afternoon," the voice replies, still disembodied. I close my eyes again, pushing them together tightly. It's a female voice, but I'm not awake enough to place it. "We were hoping you would wake up on your own, but you took forever." Groaning slightly, I push myself into the sitting position. Slowly I open my eyes, them meeting with two blue ones.

"Millie!" I shriek, falling back down onto the bed.

"Sorry," she mumbles, standing up. "I just didn't know if you where getting up or not."

"Where is everyone?" I ask, staring around the empty hotel room.

"Sempai drug Mr. Vash with her to get some coffee," Big Girl replies, dipping down to get something. It looks like she's going through her bag. "I was the first to get up, about an hour ago, then Mr. Vash, then Sempai." Bouncing back into view, she thrust a bundle of cloths at me. "Here, I picked these up for you."

"What is it, Millie?" I ask, stupidly.

"It's some cloths, silly!" she replies before plopping onto the end of the bed. "You have to have more then the cloths Mr. Vash found you in."

"Good point."

"I'll leave you to change," Big Girl says before raising and heading out the door. "I'll meet you in the lobby!"

* * *

Blu: THANKIES AGAIN EVERYONE!

TK: …no more shoes

Blu: yessh, more!

TK: NO MORE

Blu: yessh more.

TK: NO MORE!!!!

Blu: YESSH MORE!

Hustino: …I'm going with Blu on this one –hits TK with a shoe-

* * *

Wolfwood: Peaceful dreamers have peaceful dreams. That would be a given. The only problems with dreams are they end, we wake up, and life goes on. In this world, there is no such things as 'peaceful days', at least not for everyone. Some one is always suffering, some one is always hurting, and some one is always dying. That's just the way it is. I know a peaceful dreamer, in fact I know manly. It helps to know that in this hellish world, my friends fine some kind of peace in their day. They find happiness in their dreams. And the best thing is, they share their dreams with me.

**Next Chapter: Just Walk it Off**


	11. Just Walk it Off

Blu: sorry that last chapter was kinda boring! Chapter ten and this chapter were going to be all one chapter, but it was just too long XD

TK: …

Blu: what is it, TK?

TK: …I don't have anything to say

Blu: really?

TK: really.

Blu: …-runs around- AAAAAGH! TK DOESN'T HAVE SOME WITTY COMEBACK FOR MY LAZYNESS! THE WORLD IS COMING TO AN END!

TK: -.-'

Hustino- Heh, thankies again. I always look forward to your input. It really means a lot. I'm glad you like the references, caz if I can, there will be a lot more.

Ryoko Kashino- …DON'T HURT ME! I'LL BE GOOD! See? I even have a chapter up now! …so you can put down the bat, kay?

AngelArms- -does the happy dance- YAY! YOU'RE ONE OF MY READERS! –starts freaking out- omigod, most of my favorite authors are reading my shit –looks around- um…CAN I HAVE YOUR AUDIGRAPH?! (TK: BLU-CHAN! CALM DOWN!) oh right –takes in a couple of deep breaths- Thank you SO much for reading my stuff. It really means the world! I seem to be dragging a lot of VM fans over to the other side with this story –raises hand- LONG LIVE VM!

Ali10- …has anyone ever told you you can be PURE evil?! PINK? Woman…PINK?! GAH! –stabs the pink- I am NOT that evil. I can kill school children with no feeling…but PINK?! No way

Chapter Nine- Bad Ali –smacks her hand playfully- how could you? Just kidding. Thank you for going back to review it! I thought TK kicked you off the-

TK: If you say 'band wagon', I will scream

Blu: band wagon

TK: -screams-

Black Betty- Sorry it wasn't that action packed XD Like I said, this chapter and the one before it were going to be together as one…but I'm a lazy bastard so that about sums it up XD

Pyro- (-is too lazy to do your whole name XD-) GAH! THE GRAMMER! IT BUUUUUUUUURNS!!! Thankies for reviewing XD!

Paranoia Central- I told you it works! Thankies for sticking with!

Blu: that's everyone! Thankies again all, you cleared a page once again! YOU GUYS ROCK MY SOCKS!! XD

Read, Review, and Wait, the three things that happen on this site.

* * *

**Chapter Eleven: Just Walk it Off**

* * *

"Are you lost, young man?"

Jumping slightly, I look up to see the bellhop smiling down at me over his desk. "Uh, kinda," I say, rubbing the back of my neck nervously. "You see, my…mom told me to meet her down here when I was ready."

"Ah yes, she, your father, and sister have been waiting for you in the lounge," he replies, pointing the way. Did he just say…my father and sister? He couldn't mean…could he? "They wanted somewhere to sit, so I told them to go on ahead and I'd tell you where to go when you came down."

"Umm…thank you," I say hurriedly as I run in the direction he was pointing. Oh I'm gonna get a kick out of this.

"There you are," Meryl snaps before standing up and placing her hands on her hips, "what took you so long?"

"Sorry _sis_," I reply, trying not to laugh. "I got lost."

If looks could kill…

"Now now, you two," Vash tries calmly, motioning for us to take some deep breaths or something. "Let's all get along." The already steamed insurance girl spins on her heel and glares at him.

"Now, dear, don't look at your father that way," Millie scolds, shaking a finger at her partner. Meryl tries to protest but is given one of Big Girl's few and fatal glares, which stops her dead in her tracks. Snickering, I try to get out of my 'sister's' striking range. I'm in for it now.

"Who's up for some lunch?" our 'Father' asks, trying to clear the air, and hopefully save someone from an ass kicking. After a round of 'I am's, we finally head out of the hotel and onto the streets. "Umm…now where should we go?"

"I saw a nice little diner on the corner of this street when I was out for my morning walk. It looked like a good place to stop for lunch at the time," Millie suggests, wrapping a hand around mine as she talks. "They even have pudding!"

"Sounds like a great place to me," I say, tightening my grip on her hand.

"Good, lets stop there then," the Humanoid Typhoon chirps, grabbing Big Girl's other hand. I glare at him.

"Don't get any ideas, needle noggin," I whisper to him through clinched teeth.

"Wouldn't dream of it."

* * *

"Can I get you folks anything?"

Looking up from my 'kiddies menu', I shake my head. "A booster seat," Meryl says, staring at me and not the server. I feel my face flush but suddenly get an idea.

"Yeah, that'd be great," I say, keeping my poker face. "I'm sure _you'd _be able to see MUCH better with one." Ohh, cold Nicholas. It's Meryl's turn to flush, but instead of turning it around on me, she looks like she's about to bring it head on. Uh oh.

"CHILDREN!" Big Girl and her play husband cut in, Millie glaring at me and Vash glaring at Meryl. "Play nice."

Okay, they are TOO good at this parent thing.

The server chuckles, bringing us all from the little throw down waiting to happen. "So I'm guessing no booster seat?"

"Just some sandwiches."

Nodding, the server collects our menus and returns to the kitchen. I look up at Millie, who is sitting beside me, watching her trying to keep her giggles under control. "This is fun!" she chimes, clapping her hands together.

"Yeah," the typhoon across from us agrees, "I finally get to boss short girl around!"

"That's what you think."

"Here's your sandwiches!"

We all jump before swinging our heads around to see the server hovering over our table, looking somewhat embarrassed. "Gee, that was fast," Big Girl comments.

"Well, there aren't many people here today," the server replies, setting down the tray of finger food. "Enjoy." Hands shoot out from all sides, fighting for the food before them. It's been a while, you could say, since this group had seen REAL food, and not some dried up shit left to bake on sand in the hot suns.

Half way into my third sandwich, something hits me.

"That's weird," I mumble, somewhat to myself.

"What is?"

"The fact we're the only ones here," I say, setting down the half eaten meal instead of letting it hover under my mouth. "It was around two when I got up, it can't be more then two thirty now, but I didn't see anyone in the streets when we left the hotel." Three pairs of eyes blink at me before sweeping down in looks of concern and deep thought.

"Maybe we should-"

"THERE THEY ARE!"

* * *

Standing infront of the hotel, stripped of our guns, including Meryl, I glare heavily at the men holding us captive. They're smiling and laughing among themselves, most only fifteen and sixteen. What the hell do they want, anyway? Ok, stupid question. Duh, they want the bounty. Gr-EA-t.

"Well well well," one of the boys, most likely the leader, says with a sickening smile crossing his lips, "looks like we bagged a big one, boys!" His comrades let out whoops of agreement and joy.

"What do you want with us?" Meryl asks, stepping forward, only to have a gun pushed into her gut to force her back to the wall. "We're just a family passing through!"

"Sure you are," the man with the gun snorts as he presses the nozzle of his riffle under her chin, "and your 'daddy' has quite the sum on his head, don't you," he turns to Vash, gun pushing deeper into her throat, making her gasp slightly, "Vash the Stampede."

"Leave her alone," the outlaw growls, only to get the firearm turned on him.

"Then you have to come with us," Mr. Rifle growls, stuffing his gun into the Typhoon's chest. "If you don't, your 'family' gets it!"

"You sure like waving that gun around, Mister," I say coldly, looking up at him through my hair. He growls, but doesn't lower his gun to me. Not as cold hearted as I thought.

"You shut up, kid," another guy hisses, stepping up to place his gun under my chin, pushing my head up to meet his eyes. "If you don't, your daddy ain't gonna get to the feds breathin'. You wouldn't want that, would you?"

"He's not my dad," I snap, harder then I wanted it to sound.

"What?"

"I said he's not my dad!" I scream back. I can feel the girl's staring at me in shock. I can SEE Vash staring at me in shock. "He's my friend…and…and I wont let you hurt him!" Before I know what I'm doing, I'm infront of Vash, hands out in some crappy attempt to protect him. Damn job went under my skin.

"Nicholas!" Big Girl screams, trying to pry herself out from under the gun pressed to her chest. "Let me go!"

"Shut up, wench, or your kid-"

**_BANG_**

****

Blood erupts from my shoulder. Both of the girls let out a shriek as my hand shoots to the wound. Shit! "WHO SHOT THAT?!" the leader shouts, turning to his men. All hold up their personal fire arm, showing none had been fired. Damn! My knees buckle from the pain, bringing me to the dirt under me. What the hell? Damn child body with low standers of everything! Gah, now my visions going.

"NICK!" I guess Millie got out from under that man's gun, because she's suddenly at my side, her hand on my back, trying to keep me upright. "Try to focus, Nick, focus!"

"I know how…how to stay…" I try to answer, but another wave of pain cuts me off.

"FOCUS ON ME!" she cries, shaking me. I try, but it's becoming harder and harder. I've lost a lot of blood…damn. "NICK! Please…!"

"He looks really pale…" Meryl says, looking pale herself, as she slides into view. Ok, I lie, I just HOPE that white blob with her voice is her. I hear ripping and something cool wraps itself around my shoulder. She…she ripped her cape.

"N-night."

* * *

Blu: SIX PAGES!

TK: YOU'RE EVIL!

Blu: wha?

TK: EVIL CLIFFY LEAVING PERSON!

Blu: that? Yeah, sorry!

TK: are not

Blu: not really, no

TK: …evil

* * *

Millie: Dear Diary,

We've been on the road for two days now. Because of what happened in Louisville, we don't stay for long in any of the towns. I'm very worried about Nicholas. He still hasn't woken up, and I'm beginning to worry more and more. His wound is healing nicely, which makes me wonder why he hasn't woken up. I'm really scared, but for everyone else, I'll be strong.

Your friend,

Millie Thompson

**Next Chapter: Beautiful Dreamer**


	12. Beautiful Dreamer

Blu: hee, me so evil

TK: sure as hell you are

Blu: hee hee

Hustino- Thankies for your wonderful reviews, as always. Your reviews always make me so happy!

Pyro- -is scared- DON'T HURT ME! I UPDATED! XD

Ryoko Kashino- I'll keep that in mind.

TK: -is hit with the shoe your sister threw-

Blu: way to live up to your name

TK: Shut. Up.

Angelarms- Twas very evil of me, whatcha to do? Unlike you, six pages is my limit XD Thankies for reviewing! I hope I didn't wear you patience too thin! XD

Tongarisangel- Yupp, me and my evil, EVL cliff. As for the shooter person…

Chapter Ten- …how the hell did THAT happen? You're chapter ten review can AFTER your chapter eleven. Two to one tis FF.Net, being a jack ass as usual…I didn't just say that…

Black Betty- You wanted action packed, I give you action packed. Hopefully I can pull off some more…

Ali1- oh! We wouldn't want you to run out of shoes! That would just be too cruel! NO SHOES?! What would we have to hit TK with?! OH THE MADDNESS!

Paranoia Central- yessh, I am evil…BUT NOT AS EVIL AS PINK!

TK: …please don't give her any ideas…

Blu: ONCE AGAIN, YOU GUYS ROCK MY SOCKS!

Read, Review, and Wait, the three things that happen on this site.

* * *

**Chapter Twelve: Beautiful Dreamer**

* * *

_"Good, Nicholas, good."_

_I empty another cartridge onto the ground, replacing it with a full one. Bullets tare into the targets, reducing them to shreds. I grumble something under my breath, the words being drowned out by gunfire. Out of the corner of my eye, I can see that damned apple go up and down and up and down. If I can just…_

_"Nuh-uh-ah," he says playfully, yanking it out of my range. "Finish what you've started." I grumble again, returning to the task at hand. Just shoot the snot out of this thing THEN grab that damned fruit away. Always with the tossing and the mocking and the-_

_"Keep focused, Nicholas," he teases, looking out of the side of his glasses. "A man could have walked away from that shot." I growl lowly and try to imagine a face on the target, like I used to when I was a kid. Let's see…yeah that will do. _

_You're SO going down, Vash the Stampede. Nice big bounty to pay me out of this joint. _

_"That's what I'm talking about," he chimes, finally stopping with the infernal bouncing. The day with I get that damn thing… "FOCUS!"_

_"GAH! I'm FOCUSED already, okay?!" I yell, turning to him, my finger still squeezing the trigger every two seconds. Something goes whizzing by my head, which I duck from unconsciously. "What the hell was that?!"_

_"Your careless aim ricocheted off the wall and nearly offed my student," he says boredly. "See how good focusing is?"_

_"Yeah, yeah," I mumble, smacking in another pack of ammo, "point taken." Another hour of turning targets to dust and I'm finally off the hook. "Can I go _now_?" I ask, sounding more like a kid who got stuck with dish duty then a sixteen year old only days from his birthday._

_"You're almost ready," he says, patting me on the shoulder. I force a smile. What about this guy suddenly gives me the creeps? "You just have one more test, then you will have finished my training. After that…" He sniffs the air, then glares down at me. "Nicholas," he growls. "I told you about smoking in the training room." _

_"Uhh…how do you know it's not gunpowder?"_

_His glare thickens. "I will let you off with a warning," he says, turning around. "But I," he holds up my match book, "will be keeping this." With that he turns around and leaves. After a few seconds of gawking, I quickly search my pockets for my match book, coming up empty._

_"No frickin'-"_

* * *

"-way I'm letting you drive!"

Vash pouts. "Ah, come on!" he whines. "You've been driving all night! Aren't you tired?"

Meryl glares at him, somehow still keeping her eyes on the road. "I'm fine," she snaps. "I don't need to sleep anytime soon, and, anyways, the last thing we need is _you _crashing into something while Wolfwood's recovering."

"I'll be good, I promise!" he pleads, clasping his hands together. "Just let me take over for awhile!"

"Why?"

"…I'm bored."

"Then no."

"If you're tired, Sempai, _I _could always take over," Millie offers from the back seat.

"You need to tend to Nick," her partner replies.

"But you or Mr.V-"

"Yeah, you better listen to your partner on this one, Big Girl," the localized disaster infront of her says, turning around in his seat. After mouthing out the word 'Vein' as big as possible, he circles a side of his head with his index finger in the air, motioning the area in question. Millie giggles.

"That's not very nice, Mr. Vash," she snickers quietly. Smiling the closest to a 'real' smile in the past weeks, the Humanoid Typhoon turns back around, face meeting with fist.

"OW!"

"What was that about a 'Vein'?!" Meryl asks through her teeth.

"N-nothing!"

Millie smiles and settles back into her seat. "It's good to have things back to normal," she mumbles to herself while she leans back, her crossed arms acting as a pillow.

"Hey! Where're my-"

"If you're looking for your sunglasses, Mr. Vash," Big Girl says, removing them from a pocket in her coat, "you dropped them when we were leaving."

"Thanks Big Girl!" he chimes, reaching back for his fallen shades, only to find the taller insurance girl is holding them out of his range. "Hey!"

"I don't know, Mr. Vash, I think maybe I should hold on to them for you for a while!" Millie exclaims, pushing them onto the brim of her nose. "Wow, it's a perfect fit! Look, I'm you, Mr. Vash!"

"I swear that girl has it out for me," the Stampede mumbles, turning around as the woman in the seat behind him continues with her ramble by quoting some of the scrapes he's been in while doing her best 'outlaw' voice.

"She just doesn't like it when you hide behind those," Meryl mumbles, not really caring if he hears her or not. "It bugs her when you wear them. She thinks you look better with out them."

"Yupp! I do!" Millie replies, making the two jump in their seats.

"W-when did you start listening?!" her partner demands, trying to turn around and drive at the same time.

"Oh, I think it was something about me having it out for Mr. Vash…"

"YOU HEARD IT ALL?!"

"I guess I did," the girl in the back confesses. "Was I not supposed to be listening or something?"

"No, Big Girl," Vash says, smiling again, "you're perfectly fine…now give my sunglasses!" Once again, the outlaw's hand dives into the back seat, clawing around in the air for his shades.

"Nuh-uh-ah!" Millie scolds, holding them over her head. Meryl lets out a low growl and finally turns around.

"SETTLE DOWN RIGHT NOW, OR I'M TURNING THE DAMN CAR AROUND!"

* * *

_"Nicholas, why?"_

_I sling my bag over my shoulder. 'Just ignore him and maybe he'll leave you alone', I tell myself. "I asked you a question, and I'm expecting an answer," he demands, loosing his cool. Never seen that before._

_"And I'll give you my answer," I snap, turning around. "I didn't do it caz' he's my friend, alright?" I say coldly . "I wont be the Judas in your twisted nursery rhyme!" _

_"If you don't do it, you'll never finish your training," he replies sharply. _

_"Screw you're shitty training," I snarl, trying to keep my voice level under control. "I never wanted in it in the first frickin' place." Pushing past him, I head from my room and down the hall. _

_"Nicholas," he pleads, following a step behind. "Just listen to me!"_

_"I DID listen to you!" I roar, spinning on my heel. I give myself a second to calm down before continuing. "I listened to you for ten years, doing whatever you told me. I looked up to you, and I trusted you, but you…" Letting out the frustrated growl that had been building up through out the whole conversation, I grab him by the collar, and make him look down to meet my eyes. "What kind of a test was that?! How could you even ASK me to do that?!" Pushing his hand underneath mine, he forces my grip from his shirt. _

_"You follow orders," he says clearly, bringing himself to full height. "No. Matter. What." _

_We stand there, looking at each other, studying the other for any weakness. I can't find one, but I don't think he can either. Without another word, I turn around and head out the front door, my bike and cross waiting for me. "Happy Birthday," I mumble bitterly to myself while swinging my leg over the seat. Without looking back, I rev the engine once and speed off down the road, dust kicking up behind me._

_Good Riddance. _

* * *

I sit up with a jolt, the pain in my shoulder a sick reminder of my current condition. "NICK! You're UP!" Millie yelps, her arms shooting up in surprise.

"Millie," I mumble, my teeth clenched in the sudden burst of pain.

"Lay down an rest!" she scolds. "You just reopened your wound!"

"I did?" I ask stupidly. Sure enough, the bandages on the site of damage are slowly turning red. "Shit."

"Hey…Millie?"

We both turn around to see Vash draped over his seat, chin cradled on the cushion. "What, Mr. Vash?" Big Girl asks, cocking her head to the side.

"Where are my sunglasses?" he asks in a sickeningly sweet tone. The taller insurance girl blinks a couple times as if waiting for her brain to process the message before looking at both hands and feeling her face.

"I musta' threw them out of the car when Nick woke up…" she says in her naive way, blinking dumbly. The Stampede face faults onto the head rest, his fist putting a dent into the shut car door. "You didn't need them, did you?"

Letting out somewhere between a nervous laugh and a groan of frustration, the blonde gunman pulls his head out of the cushion, which has an imprint of his mug smashed into it, and smiles through gritted teeth. "Nope," he grunts. "Didn't need 'em."

"Oh, that's good!" Millie says happily, either happy she's off the hook or not knowing she was ever on one. I'd guess the second.

"Where are we, exactly?" I say, trying to sit up without causing myself any more pain.

"About four hundred iles from the city of December," Meryl says boredly, seeming to not really care whether or not I regained consciousness. I shoot up, probably tearing my wound open further.

"Did you say-"

"-Four hundred iles from the city of December," she repeats.

"Go east."

"Whoa, what?" Meryl spins around, no longer paying any attention to the road. "'East'?" she snaps. "That's pure desert!" I shake my head.

"Nope, there's a small town called 'Faith' about a hundred iles east of here," I correct, making Vash turn his gaze from Big Girl onto me. Good, he remembers. "I need to go there."

"And why the hell would you-"

"Sounds good to me!" Vash interrupts, spinning around in his seat. I'm guessing he made a pout or something, because Meryl lets out a 'Humph' of annoyance and turns the car to the right before driving into the rising suns.

"Man, I could really use my sunglasses!"

"Let it go, Spiky."

* * *

TK: there, that wasn't so bad

Blu: I still don't like it, but I can live with it. If you couldn't guess, the spots in italics were Nick's dreams. Those will be popping up more and more, so watch out for them!

TK: well…that's it

Blu: really? Nothing else you wanna say?

TK: …umm…no shoes?

Readers: yeah right! –all chuck their shoes at TK-

TK: ow ow ow ow ow OWWW! HUSTINO! NO HIGH HEELS!

Hustino: MWHHAHAHAHAH! –runs away-

* * *

Wolfwood: There is always someone to look up to. The super hero hidden in every day life. Childhood is full of wonder and discovery. Discovery of friendship, of new games to play, of idles and demi-gods. You looking up at them, knowing that is the person that you can look up to, the person that you can trust to understand, no matter what. But what if they don't? What if they aren't the person you thought they were? What happens with your shinning Knight is just hiding his true face under that helmet? A face that would frighten you? A face he's trying to change, just for you.

**Next Chapter: Everything You Want**


	13. Everything You Want

* * *

Blu: Well, Kenny (one of my IM pals) went on vacation, so I got his OCs, Asako and Makoto!

Asako: HI BITCHES!

Makoto: DON'T SAY THAT!

Blu: …but lent him TK, so you guys wont see him in this chapter anywhere

Readers: BUT WHAT WILL WE THROW SHOES AT!?

Blu: …Asako?

Asako: -threatens Blu with the 10" pipe-

Blu: …err…Makoto?

Makoto: don't even THINK about it

Blu: umm…REVIEWER THANKING TIME!

Hustino- Thankies for your review, as always. Amazing how watching a few Trigun episodes when you're extremely bored helps with your character writing XD

Asako: -is hit with the assorted footwear- GAH! YOU'RE GETTING IT NOW! –chases Hustino with the 10" pipe-

Hustino: GAH! –runs for the hills-

Blu and Makoto: -.-'

Ryoko Kashino- who cares if it tis a real word? It should be, that's all I know! Thankies for liking my work so much! If TK was here, I'm sure he would say sorry for the heels…as for Hustino…

Angelarms- I try to update as soon as possible…seeing as a few of my readers live close enough to physically hurt me…Anywho, thankies for reading, and good luck on the shades hunt!

Tongarisangel- Thankies for liking this so much! As for the Chapel and Wolfwood thingy, if I don't explain in this story, I'm going to write another one that does, so I'm sorry, but you'll just have to wait and see!

Pyro- Soap will wash that paint right up…THANKIES FOR READING!

AkinaMeigatusno- ANOTHER READER! –jumps up and down happily- To tell the truth, I don't think anyone, including myself, saw the slaughter coming. I just had a brain blast and…you know the rest XD

Ali10- Like I said, if I don't get to the details of Chapel and such, I will have a fic coming out after this one about ALL of Wolfie's freaky past! DANKA!

KittyHakubi- YOU ARE CORRECT, SIR! …Ma'am…person…yeah…anywho, thankies again, and tis perfectly fine if you don't review all the time, but I will miss thanking you! TIS SO FUN!

Blu: that's everyone! YOU ROCK MY SOCKS!

Read, Review, and Wait, the three things that happen on this site!

* * *

**Chapter Thirteen: Everything You Want**

* * *

"Move your arm."

Raising the limb as much as I can without starting the blood flow all over again, I watch as Big Girl wraps the fresh bandage once more around the wound before tying it off. "Thanks, Millie," I say, smiling up at her.

"Now, what is this place called again?" Meryl ask, clearing another dune.

"Faith," I reply, fighting back a yawn. You'd think a couple days of sleeping would hold a fella' over for awhile.

"Is that where you're born or something?" Millie asks.

"Family's there, yeah, but I was born closer to July," I say boredly. Out of the corner of my eye, I can see our sixty billion double dollar friend flinch at the city's name. "Ah, cool it. You didn't screw up anyone I know."

"I don't know what you mean," he exclaims in the fakest shock I've ever seen while slumping down farther in his seat.

"Yeah, and I'm the one with the angel arm."

"A what?" Short Girl asks, shifting in her seat.

"Angel arm," I reply before Vash can user us off the subject. With my good arm I form my hand into the shape of a gun and point it at the sky. "It's the big huge gun thing that Vash used to blow the third city of July sky high and made the fifth moon even creepier then it used to be."

"Gee," the Typhoon grumbles infront of me, "you make it sound like I took it out for a joy ride or somethin'."

"You mean you didn't?"

"Cut it."

* * *

_"Hey! Nick!"_

_I look up glumly. How the hell did I end up in this dust ball of a town, anyway? I was just driving along, minding my own business when all of a sudden-_

_"Nick-Aniki(Japanese for elder brother)!"_

_"GAH!"__ I fall over in my chair._

_"Nick-Aniki!__ Nick-Aniki!" Joseph cries, tackling me as I try to sit up. "Give me a piggy back ride, Nick-Aniki!"_

_"I tried to warn you," Mary grumbles, walking away with a cloud of little children at her heels. "Watch them while I go get some food, eh?" She grins over her shoulder before closing the door. _

_Great.__ Locked in a church with a pack of hyper kids…_

_"PIGGY-BACK RIDE!" Joseph screams, bouncing up and down on my lap. _

_"If you let me get up, I'll let you have one," I grunt, forcing a smile. _

_"YAY!" he yells, rolling off my stomach long enough for me to sit up properly before raising his hands in the attempt of making me pick him up faster. I smile down at him before jumping to my feet. _

_"Up you go!" I say, picking him up and setting him on my shoulders. "Hang on!" Right on cue, ten little fingers dig into my scalp. "NOT WHAT I MEANT, JOE!" I yell. The fingers loosen, but still cling to my hair. Goddammit it kid!_

_"Giddy-up, Nick-Aniki!" he cries as he digs his heels into my shoulder bone. "Giddy-up!" Despite myself, I rear up, doing my best Thomas impression, and start galloping around the room. The other children let out shrieks of joy before starting a chase. "Fasta! Fasta!" Joseph yells, pulling on my hair. Can't argue with that. Kicking on the after burners, I zigzag through each row of pews, the pack of mini bounty hunters hot on my heels._

_"We'll get you, Vash!" Peter screams, waving his fist in the air as he runs. _

_"NEVAAAAAAAAA!" Joseph and I scream behind us at the same time before I jump over another bench. John, Sarah, and Jacob jump up from behind the pew infront of us, hands formed into little guns, scaring the living shit out of me. The little boy on my shoulders lets out a surprised wail of joy, his grip on my locks tightening. I twist around to find Mark, Rebecca, Damion, and Julie, index fingers pointed at my head, standing on the cushions placed on the seat of the pew._

_"GOTCHA!" the children shout, pointing their 'firearms' at us. _

_"YOO'LL NEVA CATCH ME, COPA'S!" Joseph screams, pulling on my hair. Taking the hint, I duck out of the 'bounty hunter's line of fire' and run for the hills. Shouting and wailing, the youngsters jump over the pews in hot pursuit. Two seconds after passing the chapel's door, the sound of a key turning in the lock reaches my ears, making me stop dead in my tracts._

_"PLACES!" I scream. Two seconds later, the door opens to reveal Mary, empty handed. _

_"Forgot my wallet," she says sheepishly. We all look up at her from where we are seated on the floor, our bibles propped open infront of us. _

_"You don't say…"_

_

* * *

_

"Nick! Wake up!"

Slowly, I prop one eye open to see Big Girl hovering two inches from my nose. "What is it?" I grunt, still half asleep.

"Sempai said we're close to that town, 'Wraith'!" she replies, bouncing back into her own seat.

"It's 'Faith', honey," I correct, trying to sit up without reopening anything. I think I need to sleep a few more days…

"We should only be about ten iles away," Meryl calls over her shoulder before jabbing Vash, who was also asleep, in the gut.

"Whatdido? Whatdido?" he asks sleepily, shooting up in his seat.

"Your saliva is all over the cat door," the driver groans, handing over an already stained cloth to the Localized Disaster sitting beside her. "Now clean it up, Vash the Slobber-pede."

"At least he didn't get his Sixty Billion Double Dollar drool on your shoulder," I grumble. "If I ever ride a bike again, I am NOT letting you take a nap."

"But I was tired!"

"That's why I hooked up a cab, but NO! Some one couldn't fit his damn feet into it."

"Hey, your feet don't fit in that either!"

"BOYS!"

With a grunt, Vash turns around in his seat, arms crossed. I plaster a self-satisfied grin onto my face and stare at him in the rear-view mirror. I happen to know that REALLY ticks him off. Oh, and is it fun.

"SEMPAI! I think I see it!" Big Girl screams, bringing us back to reality. With my good arm, I prop myself up to see over the door and Meryl's head. Sure enough, there's the little black speck on the horizon that is the town of 'Faith'. I can feel myself grinning from ear to ear.

Home sweet home.

Twenty some minutes later we are but half an ile away, and already Vash and the girls are gawking. A big ol' hole in the side of a chapel is just as unexpected as I thought it was five some years ago when I came home to find it.

"Did it always look-"

"Like a smoking pile of shit?" I finish, cutting the Stampede off. "Pretty much."

"Wow!" Millie exclaims, catching a glimpse of what is left of the stain glass windows. "They're so pretty!"

"Mary did that," I say.

"Who's Mary?" Big Girl asks, turning from the rapidly gaining church to me.

"An old girlfriend?" Vash ask playfully, grinning at me over his shoulder.

"She's a nun," I say plainly.

"And you're a priest," he replies, smirk plastered onto his face. "I don't see the problem."

"She would be Fifty by now!" I almost scream. Damn Needle-Noggin, messin with me all the damn time!

"If you two are quite done," Meryl says plainly, trying to keep her cool, "we're here."

* * *

Asako: CLIFFY!

Makoto: You lazy…

Blu: …um…um…-runs and hides-

* * *

Wolfwood: Humans are not perfect, nor were humans created perfect. God created humans in his image, but did not give them ability to verify right from wrong. Human's made their first big mistake, and, in the process, gained the ability to verify between right and wrong. We, as humans, still have the concept, the concept of free will, yet we constantly pick wrong over right. We know which is which, and yet we can't seem to keep ourselves from crossing that thin line that separates the two. We know right from wrong, and we are not perfect.

**Next Chapter: Pandora's Box**

__


	14. Pandora's Box

Blu: Dammit, TK! You FINALLY get back just send me into writers block! –smacks TK over the head with her Sketchers-

TK: OW!

Blu: I'm SO Sorry everyone! This chapter's been a total bitch to write! It is long so, I hope that SOME what makes up for the super-duper lateness

Hustino- -smacks you over the head- NO LIL' FOX! –smack slap- Anywho! No shoes? That's kinda scary. Thankies a lot for the 'wraith' thing, it really did help. You know I live for your reviews! Hehehehe, I guess I'm still quite evil, huh?

Black Betty- You know, I have no clue if he will return to normal…hmm…should he?

Pilot-Trowa-Barton- Almost as short as Emily's review, go you! XD Thankies for readin!

Ryoko Kashino- GAH! MY KEYBOARD! NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! …YAY! A new one! Maybe the damn enter key wont piss me off as much! The ' key and the enter key are too damn close together! IT PISSES ME OFF! …but yeah, THANKIES FOR THE REVIEW!

Ali10- I have a Zelda fic I have to do after this one, (Kenny doesn't know a damn thing about Trigun, so I have to do one sometime XD) so it might be awhile till that fic comes out. SORRY! I have to tell you tho, I just can't wait XD. Ok, now to your review. I was hoping someone would crack up at the Thomas thing. I know I was. Thankies again for the reviews! Keep em' comin!

AbishiansBlood- Chapter Eight: YAY! A new reader! Just in time for the last couple chapters! …cute? My writing's…cute? I haven't heard that from anyone before…sides Hustino…

Chapter Thirteen: You know, you might be right about breaking TK, but tis too damn addictive! You sound just like my friend T9, Bloodshed this and Bloodshed that. I hope this chapter will help your thirst for gore XD

Angelarms- No need to apologize. As long as you review, I'm happy. YAY! You found them! Go you! …but if you're not keeping them, can I have em? XD

Paranois Central- Chapter Twelve: Be nice to my muse! Only throw cleats if you have a reason. If you don't, stick with the tennis shoes XD

Chapter Thirteen- Wolfwood rocks!

Makoto: -is beaned with the shoe- XP –is knocked out-

Blu: …great, and she wasn't even mine!

Kachiechan- Jeez, four new readers in one chapter. Now I just feel loved! I'd love to read your fic. I bet it will be great, but if you start it and don't like it, you can always start over. I had to with this fic, and look how much better it tis! You can count on me to be one of your reviewers…unless tis a yaoi or a Mary Sue…then I might have already steered clear of it XD

Tongarisangel- Don't ask me about spelling. I SUCK at spelling. I couldn't spell my way out of a wet paper bag, 'kay? Those little sayings at the end are really fun sometimes, other times I have no clue what the hell I'm typing XD

Naruke- Chapter One: …goddammit. Well, I'm too lazy to go back and fix it. Deal with it XD

Chapter Two: …PLEASE! NO MORE! I CAN'T TAKE IT! I know I SUCK at some spelling and grammar, but go easy on me!

Chapter Three: -bangs head on keyboard- Am I spelling THAT right?!

Chapter Four: DANKE! I was kinda worried about that, after you stole the rough draft out of my binder and calling it shit XD

Chapter Five: yessh, the corniness does call to one…

Chapter Six: Yessh…just some Naruto shit, Shikamaru! …yeah

Chapter Seven: I thought you might like that

Chapter Eight: hee hee, nice.

Chapter Nine: YAY! GO ME! NO SCREW UPS!

Chapter Ten: Gah, that sucks. I REALLY need to read over my stuff before posting XD

Chapter Eleven: …blah

Chapter Twelve: …blah again?

Chapter Thirteen: NO! DAMMIT! –bangs head on keyboard- I'm rereading this chapter like ten times before I post it XD

Neptune Butterfly- I REMEMBER YOU! YAY! Another reader from before! I'm glad you like this version better. So do I! THANKIES FOR REVIEWING! Your review is number 111!!!!

Pyro: …heh, nice…that's all I can say

XprepxhaterX- you are my kinda person! Does that go for Mary-Sues too? Nvm. …you expect me to know if he'll get big again? What do I look like? A person who can look into the future and give out the very ENDING of the frickin fic? …well…I'm not…I don't even know what's happening THIS chapter…

InuBuggy- Chapter four- YAY! You finally read my fic! I'm so happy! Now why would I ax murder you? What is it with you and axes anyways?!

Chapter Thirteen- Tis weak constitution, babe, but anywho, thankies for the reviews, and don't diss the rambles…

Blu: OVER TWO PAGES! You rock my socks more than usual! GO YOU ALL!

Ps. This chapter is gonna be SUPER long, so buckle in!

Read, Review, and Wait, the three things that happen on this site.

* * *

**Chapter Fourteen: Pandora's Box**

* * *

"I don't remember it being this big…"

"A change in height will do that to you," Vash jokes, stepping in first, followed by Big Girl.

"It's still really big," I say, pouting slightly. This, of course, earns me a hair ruffling from Millie.

"You used to…live here?" Short Girl asks, running a finger down the dusty wall.

"Yupp," I say, slumping into a pew. A cloud of dust erupts from under my butt, throwing me into a coughing fit.

"Smooth," Vash snickers before stumbling backwards into his own dirt cloud. The shorter insurance girl passes him, looks down, and snorts.

"Klutz," she huffs, kicking up more dust as she walks.

"You PUSHED me!" the Typhoon snaps, shooting up. Meryl lets out another snort.

"As if," she replies calmly. "I'm not that immature, unlike you."

"That's cold."

I roll my eyes. What is with those two, anyways?

"FOUND IT!"

With a squeak of surprise, I fall back onto the pew again, once again clouded in dirt. From the following thuds, I'm guessing Vash and Short Girl were just as surprised. "Millie!" Meryl growls, shooting up in a huff. After about a minute of scrambling, I finally get off of the pew…only to fall flat on my face on the floor. Damn, I think I just ripped my bandage, or, worse, reopened my wound.

"SORRY!" Big Girl yelps. Finally getting to my feet, I peer over the pew to see her holding up her almighty package of pudding. In her other hand is a duffle bag, snack-food peeking out of the half opened top. "I was just looking for a snack."

"…Where did you get THAT?!" Meryl asks, snatching away the bag from her partner. Turning it upside-down, the short insurance woman unleashes a tidal wave of junk food onto the church's floor.

"I used the money you gave me yesterday and got food, silly!" Millie says matter-o-factly tone while tapping her shorter counterpart on the forehead. Scooping up some of the spilled food from the bag into her arms, Big Girl walks over to where Vash and I look on helplessly and waves a few dried foods in our faces. "You two are hungry, right?" She gives us that innocent smile of hers.

"I am!" the Humanoid Typhoon yells, making a mad dive for ALL of the food at once. Millie twists around just in time and the Localized Disaster falls to the ground, sprawled out with his butt in the air.

"Gee, that's cute," Meryl mumbles, stuffing the rest of the food back into the bag.

* * *

"…Amen!"

_RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRIP!_

Plastic falls to the ground and away they go. "This isn't healthy at all!" Meryl says, skimming the back of the wrapper. Of course it would be more convincing if she didn't have most of what was in the wrapper sticking out of the corner of her mouth.

"Hey," Vash says, shrugging his shoulders, "if you don't want it…" The shorter insurance girl bats the gunman's hand away, about to grab up some of the food from _her_ pile.

"Now, children!" Big Girl scolds playfully, waving her spoon around. Out of the corner of my eye, I tally up all the pudding packages. One…two three…nine…ten…twenty four…twenty…oh forget it! How the hell does she keep that figure of her's when all she ever eats is pudding?!

"Want one, darling?" Millie asks, waving a pudding package in my face to bring me out of my little day dream-rant. Millie is sharing her pudding…with ME. I must have done something really good to make her share it with me! I feel so honored.

"Gee, honey, I'd love one," I say, smiling. She hands me one of the tan colored ones and a spoon, which I take.

"Honey? Darling?" the other two in the room ask in unison. "What?!"

"Inside joke."

Satisfied…somewhat, the pair on the opposite of us return to stuffing their faces, leaving Big Girl and I smiling proudly at each other for confusing the two. Removing the little plastic rapper glued to the top, I plunge my spoon into the pudding and stuff some of it into my mouth. God, this is GOOD! Now I see why Millie eats these all the time. Like a mad man, I frantically scoop the rest down my throat. Looking up, I blush slightly, finding my companions staring at me.

"It's…good…" I mutter, licking some of the mess around my lips away. Short Girl snorts and rolls her eyes while Vash grins stupidly and tries not to laugh. "What?"

"You…you have pudding stubble!" the Typhoon blurts out, not being able to hold back anymore of the giggles. I rub my chin, and, sure enough, off comes pudding splatter. Extremely embarrassed at this point, I wipe the rest off madly.

"Jeez, it's getting late," Short Girl comments, looking up at the first moon as it shines down through the huge gap in the church ceiling. Shifting from her knees to the balls of her feet, she scoops up the pile of wrappers and half eaten junk-food and stuffs them back into the bag. After doing so, she passes the now appointed trash-can around, giving us the 'Clean-up-your-mess-or-else' glare. We all comply without question.

"Where are we going to sleep?" Millie asks, innocently. "The pews are a little dusty…"

"That's an understatement…" Meryl mutters, zipping up the now full bag.

"There are some mats and blankets in the kid's room," I say, getting to my feet. "We could sleep in there."

"I wanna sleep under the moon's tonight, though," Big Girl replies, pleading at me with her big, huge, sky blue eyes. God, I just can't win with this girl…

"Sounds good to me!" the Stampede cuts in, already sprawled out on the floor lazily. I roll my eyes, feet already heading in the direction of the kid's room.

The door creeks, barely attached to its rusted hinges, as I slowly ease it open. The dust coating the ground flutters around as I take a few steps in. I cover my mouth, not wanting to reopen my wound by hacking too hard. The rooms the same as I left it. My old cloths, the normal, casual ones, sit carefully folded on the dresser, still waiting for me to return and reclaim the carefree lifestyle I left behind years ago. Stretched out on the floor are the two rows of mats, one for each orphan; a larger one for me lays in the middle for 'Nightmare Patrol'. Slowly I count the mats like I used to, ignoring the one set out for myself.

Nine, of course.

"Hiya!"

Jumping a few feet off the ground, I spin around to find Vash leaning on the door frame. "I told you not to do that!" I huff, glaring at him.

"I just thought you might need some help!" he says innocently. Stepping into the room, the Stampede surveys the new surroundings. I roll my eyes and bend down to scoop one of the many mats into my arms for Big Girl to sleep on. Finally taking the hint, the outlaw does the same on the other side of the room.

Sleepily, I balance one of the mats on my head with the other tucked under my arm and head for the door. I'm really tired all of the sudden. Reemerging into the main chapel, I can make out Millie and Meryl as they perk up at the sight of their new beds. Before I can even get back to our little appointed sleep spot, Big Girl has three blankets ready and waiting. Laying out the two mats we'll be sharing, I let out a long yawn and plop down onto it, asleep before I even make contact.

* * *

_"NICK-ANIKI! YOU HAVE A VISITOR!"_

_"Thanks, Peter," I say, trying to get the ringing out of my ears. Sarah and Joseph give me disappointed looks. "Aw, come on guys," I tell them, ruffling Joseph's hair, "I'll be right back, I promise." The pouts are replaced with shy smiles. _

_"Right back?" Sarah asks. I nod before whipping some green paint off her nose with my thumb.   
  
_

_"Right back," I repeat. Her smile widens and the two of them return to their painting. "Kay, Peter," I turn to the ten-year-old at the door, "lead the way." He nods, then disappears from the door frame. I follow and soon take stride beside him. _

_"He's kinda scary," he whispers to me as we walk from the kid's room to the front of the church. "And really tall." Well, that really narrows it down. "He's wrinkly too…"_

_"That's not very nice, Peter," I scold, the corners of my mouth twitching. He stares up at me like I'm calling him a liar._

_"It's true," he mutters. _

_"I bet it is."_

_We turn at the end of the ile and are soon facing the heavy chapel doors. Suddenly, my body stiffens and my hand shoots for my gun holster…which, of course, isn't there. Peter looks up at me confused. Why am I freaking out? It's probably just one of Mary's friends or something. All of them are old. Shaking my head, I reach down and pull the door open. _

_"Hello Nicholas."_

_Resisting the temptation to jump or yell or freak out, I choke on my pride and force out an answer that wouldn't scar Peter for life. "Chapel," I reply with a little nod. A muffled whimper redirects our attention from each other to the little boy trying in vain to completely cover himself with my leg. Forcing a smile, I bend to look at him. "Peter, I need you to go tell Mary and the other kids I'm going on a little walk with an old friend, so I'll be back a little later then I thought," I say, before patting him on the shoulder. "You're the oldest, so you're in charge while I'm gone, got it?" A smile spreads over his face and, puffing up his chest, he nods then turns to speed off down the ile for the kid's room. Smiling, I watch him round the corner before standing up and turning to my former teacher. To my surprise, he's smiling at me, and, for once, it's not that creepy, sadistic smile he always seemed to wear when he was talking to me. It's more of a kind one, which completely catches me off guard. "What?" I ask, my eyes narrowing. He's up to something._

_"I came looking for my student, I didn't think I'd find a man in his place," he says plainly before stepping out of my way so we can begin our 'little walk'._

_"What do you want with me?" I hiss, glaring at him. The door shuts behind us and the smile over his face is gone._

_"I have come asking for you to join with me again," he says, after a moment of silence. "If you refuse…I'm afraid it might cost you your life." I stop with a jolt. _

_"Whoa, what?!" I blurt out, staring at him in shock. The surprise is quickly replaced with anger. "What are you pulling?" I ask in a low voice._

_"I'm afraid it is the only way, Nicholas," he replies dryly, refusing to look at me. "If you don't come with me, if you don't join under my employer like you were meant to after you completed your training, you will either be killed…or convinced to join under other circumstances." My eyes widen. I know what he's saying. _

_That means only one thing:_

_I can't stay here. _

* * *

"Well, they're dead to the world."

Meryl rolls her eyes. The two males of the group had promptly passed out after setting out their mats and are now sleeping soundly. The blonde's snores drown out the _click-clacks_ of her type-writer as she works by the dimming fire-light. Though she will never admit it to the others, she has come to find she can't work without that ungodly noise seeping through the walls. She rolls her eyes again. It's not like she _needs_ it to work or anything. It's just…

"Sempai?"

Meryl jumps slightly, pausing in her paper-work. "What, Millie?" she asks, glancing quickly at her friend before returning to her work.

"Umm…I'm gonna take a little walk," Millie says, smiling slightly. "I kinda need to clear my hand-"

"Head," Meryl corrects subconsciously.

"Right…that…" Millie lets out a giggle which could be taken as a nervous laugh. "Well…I'll see you in a little bit."

"Don't go to far!" Short Girl calls after her partner. "You might get lost!"

"I'll keep in sight of the church!" Big Girl yells back before pushing through the heavy church doors. Rolling her eyes, the smaller insurance girl smiles despite herself. A few minutes later she's once again knee deep in her paper work. A pained moan rips her from her typewriter, making her jump.

To her surprise, mini Wolfwood lets out another moan as he turns and tosses under his blanket.

"He's having a nightmare," Meryl confirms aloud before going to his bedside.

* * *

_"Dear God…"_

_Sliding off of Angelina II, I take a few steps towards the sagging church, gapping at the damage. The beautiful stain glass windows, the same windows Mary slaved over for three years in a row, are cracked and shattered. My feet pull me to the door, which seems to be the only thing left intact, and I push it open slowly. _

_Moonlight streams in through the ceiling, casting an eerie light over the bent and broken pews. _

_I never should have left…maybe if I didn't…_

"Hello Nicholas."

_I spin around, hand leaping to my side. I remove my gun from its holster before pointing it out infront of me. "Who's there?" I hiss, gun following my eyes as they sweep over the battered church._

"Who I am is of no importance. The only information you need to know is that of your orders, and who gives you those orders."

_"What do you want from me?!" I ask, my voice raising with every syllable. I turn a full circle before side stepping down the ile, careful not to trip over any of the fallen benches. "Are you the one who did this?!"_

"I am afraid, yes. You could say I am 'convincing you to join under other circumstances', as your teacher so gingerly put it."

_Ok, now that's just creepy. Something snaps in my head. He couldn't mean…_

_Dropping my gun, I tear off in a dead run for the kid's room._

_He's lying. _

_The slimy bastard's lying._

_Banging the door open with my shoulder, I freeze on entering the small room._

"I do not lie, Nicholas. They are gone."

_Slowly my knees buckle, bringing me to the floor. They're gone. Every single one of them…_

_"I should at least know the name of the man I'm working for," I say slowly, broken and defeated._

"You need to know but one name: Millions Knives."

* * *

"Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost…"

Millie's voice falls off as she takes a look around. The three moons above her cast an eerie glow upon the street around her. "I should get back…" she whispers to herself, before searching for the church. Looking above the house tops, she lets out a sigh of relief at the steeple looming in the distance. Deciding to take a short-cut back via one of the many alley-ways, Big Girl trots confidently in the directions in which she came.

It doesn't take her long, though, to realize she's become lost. The twists and turns of the alleys all look the same, and her mind starts to play tricks on her as she takes more quickened steps forward. A shadow jumps out at her as she rounds another corner, making her fall back in surprise.

Something catches her mid-fall.

No, someone.

"Whoa there, Big Girl," a voice says, the owner helping her back onto her feet. After regaining her composer, she steps back to meet her catcher.

She lets out a startled gasp.

"M-Mr. Priest?!" she chokes out. The figure nods before taking a step forward to separate himself from the shadows. A tattered black suit, almost blue from use and a messy black mane of hair greet her. She strains her eyes to see his face, still incased in shadow, but is stopped when the man takes another step forward, once again covered in shadow. Despite herself, she stumbles back a few paces, keeping herself arms-length from him.

"What's wrong, Honey?" the shadow asks. "It's me…Wolfwood!" He pauses, as if not knowing whether or not to advance, before stepping closer. She staggers backwards, only to find a solid wall behind her, which she presses herself against. "Don't you believe me?" He takes one more step, now completely bathed in moonlight then stops.

Millie's eyes widen as she stares into a darkly tanned face. A stern mouth, now forced down into a hurt frown, lies under a hawk-like nose. The rest of her breath catches in her throat.

_It's really him!_

Her vision blurs as tears form in her eyes. A hand gently wipes them away as they fall down her cheeks. She smiles widely, about to hug the priest to death, but stops.

His eyes are different.

They're not murky blue like when he's happy, or cloudy blue like when he forces a smile for her. They're not even the stormy blue of when he's angry.

In fact, they're not blue at all.

They're red.

Blood red.

She screams.

* * *

I shoot up with a cry of shock, making Meryl, who was no doubt hovering over me, fall back with a startled cry of her own. Pain shoots up and down my arm from the wound in my shoulder.

CRAP!

* * *

The red eyed man falls back with a cry of pain, clutching his shoulder. He mutters an oath before returning his crimson gaze to Millie. She presses herself to the wall, now shaking in fear. He grins wolfishly down at her before sending the back of his hand over her cheek in a hard slap. She cries out, slamming into the wall to her right, then drops limply to the ground.

* * *

The back of my hand burns as I swear. "Didn't you hear that?" I ask Short Girl as I push myself into the sitting position, ignoring the protest from my wound.

"H-hear what?" she ask, still somewhat in shock from my sudden awakening.

"That scream!" I bark. She shakes her head.

She's lying.

No, this is Meryl…

But did she REALLY not hear it?!

I swear to myself before looking around. "Where's Millie?" I demand, already knowing the answer.

"She went for a wa-"

"She's in trouble," I snap, pushing myself to my feet. A wave of pain sends me crumbling back to the floor.

"You're too hurt to be going out there!" she protests, trying to usher me back to bed. "Vash and I will go look for-"

"NO!" I yell. Staggering slightly, I stand and push away from her to get to the outlaw no doubt already awake from our yelling.

"What's going on?" he asks after I nudge him with my foot.

"Millie's in danger," I reply plainly. His eyes suddenly mirror my mine, drawn thin with an undirected death-glare. Behind me, I can hear Meryl choke back a gasp.

I bet she wishes he had his shades right now…

* * *

Blu: FINALLY!

TK: o…mi…god

Blu: what?

TK: if you ex out the three pages for the author's note at the beginning and this, you still have ten pages of story! HOLY SHIT!

Blu: well, if it takes me a month to write, it should be long, right?

TK: most of it you did today and yesterday, you lazy bastard

Blu: YOU SHHH!

* * *

Wolfwood: A week ago I promised myself three things;  
One, I would tell the woman I loved how I felt, no matter what,  
Two, I wouldn't repeat the past by betraying another friend,  
And three, I would never take another life.  
A week ago, someone made me make another promise, one, by some twist of fate, I was able to keep.  
Somehow I don't think it will last long.

**Next Chapter: Promise**


	15. Promise

Blu: I HAVE MINIONS!

TK: -rolls eyes-

Blu: what?

TK: you do realize that after this chapter your so called 'minions' will either leave you or tie you up and beat you senseless with a pink shoe, right?

Blu: …I don't see where you're going with this…

TK: -falls over-

Hustino- -smack hit smack slap- NO LIL FOX, DAMMIT! –smack hit slap- I'm glad I finally got it posted myself XD Believe me, you're still completely wrong XD Not that you wont find out by the end of this. Thank you so much for being with me every single step of the way. You don't know what it means to me and don't forget about all the great reviews you've sent me! You're the best –hugs-

Magnet-Rose- -eyes get all starry-like- I g-get MINIONS?! SHWEET! –does a jig too- …I want tacos…Anywho, you've been a great readers and reviewer, so thankies much! -hugs-

Ali10- I'll try to get this chapter posted in under the next month this time XD Btw, you don't know what it means to me for sticking with me thru every typo ridden chapter! To put it simply, it means the world. Thanks again –hugs-

Black Betty- WHOA Betty! Deep breaths, hun! Everything's gonna be alright…well…maybe it WON'T but…you just have to trust me! Do you trust me? Good. Now, since you probably have your breathing back to normal, I want to thank you for being one of my first long-time readers. You rock, girl –hugs-

Kitara-Kama- We ALL love Wolfwood here! This story is like it's own little Wolfwood shrine! (TK: and yet…) YOU SHHH! Well, this is it, babe. This is all I can give you. I hope you liked it! Thanks for being one of my readers –hugs-

Angelarms- REALLY?! I can HAVE THEM?! YAY! –puts Vashu's sunglasses on then runs around flailing her arms- I CAN'T SEE! I CAN'T SEE!

TK: that would be because there's still sand all over the lenses.

Blu: oh yeah –takes off the sunglasses and wipes them off with the edge of her t-shirt- I knew that. Anywho! I'm glad you liked the chapter! I like putting in plot twists! XD Don't worry about your fic, tho. First off, you chapters are MEGA long, which always makes it worth while, and secondly we all love you! I want to thank you again for taking the time to read this! It makes me really happy to have so many of my favorite authors reading my stoof! It really kicks ass, so thanks –hugs-

Flower Maiden: -falls over- PERVERT! YOU'RE A PERVERT! Well…I can live with that! Thanks for reading then taking the time to review –hugs-

Tongarisangel- Well, the cliffhanger has come to an end! You'll finally get to find out who the bad guy is, along with all my other readers! I hope you liky! It has really rocked reading all your reviews. It means a lot to me, so thanks, hun! –hugs-

RavenWyng74- Whoa, I got a review via email! How cool is that?! Anywho, I was wondering if anyone would mention the pudding, but I guess everyone just crowded down at the end…or something like that…The mystery of the warped red eyed Wolfie has come to an end…of course you'll only find out who it tis after you stop reading this…hmm…Anywho, it really rocked having you as a reader, and you even put extra effort into reviewing. You are a author's best friend, you know that? thanks –hugs-

XprepxhaterX- -hands you back your jaw- you might need this…for THIS chapter and all XD You might want to hold onto that plushie too…just don't pop it's spiky lil head off…THAT would be a tragedy XD Thanks again for being my reader! It's been great –hugs-

InuBuggy- I'm glad I kept you entertained! It really makes me feel happy when my readers are so into my stories! Believe me, it matters. It matters A LOT! Just as much as it matters that you became one of my readers! –hugs-

Pyro- sorry I haven't been talking! I haven't heard from you in a long time either XD Thanks for being a reader! –hugs-

Neptune Butterfly- I'm pretty sure you were the first reviewer, although that's not everything. It means a lot that you came back to this story after the first draft of it turned out to be such a shitty one XD thanks –hugs-

VashslilAngel- tis true that good MWs are hard to come by, but that just means they're that much cooler to read! I'm glad you've liked my little twist on the pairing! Hope this chapter is as lovable –hugs-

Gunslinger Neko- You read all of them? Go you! I've gotten so many new peoples just this chapter alone XD I'm so happy this is so popular, and you're just one of the many people who made that possible. Thanks! I'm sorry to say that this is it, no more other then epilogue, so I hope you like it –hugs-

Hero O Donuts- Band wagons are fun XD Thanks for catching it in time! This it, Tye, so I hope you like it –hugs-

Blu: I'm gonna miss you guys! You totally and completely ROCK! MY! SOCKS!

Read, Review, and go on to read the epilogue!

I'LL MISS YOU!

* * *

**Chapter Fifteen: Promise**

* * *

_My head hurts…_

Millie lets out a low groan of pain. Her lungs scream at her as the sound rattles out of her dry throat. There's a faint taste of blood in her mouth, but her mind is too jumbled to remember how it got there. Her head pounds with each sudden movement as her body bounces lightly up and down.

_I'm…I'm being carried…_she thinks weakly to herself. Her hands grope blindly around her to find who or what is holding her. One falls onto a rough surface.

A very familiar rough surface.

She closes her hand around it, letting the fabric ball up in her fist. _Nicholas' jacket, _she concludes, her other hand clinging to it as well. She runs her palms over his chest, feeling the grains of sand permanently imbedded in the cloth as she lays her throbbing head on it as well. _But…where is he taking me?_

Straining to make her muscles obey her, she slowly opens her eyes. Gradually they adjust to her surroundings-

Two blood red eyes.

Images come rushing back to her as her eyes widen with terror. She opens her mouth to cry out, but nothing comes out. The hands clutching the man's shirt shoot to her throat. _I can't speak! _her mind screams. The red eyed man grins down at her for a moment before redirecting his attention back on where he is going. She yells at her body to move, to break from his grip and run, but nothing happens.

She's frozen.

"You've been out for a while, _honey,_" the man says as he glancing down at her, his slimy voice twisting her nickname into an insult. "My master has made sure you won't interfere with our little _show-and-tell_." Her blue eyes widen in fear, making his slight grin shift into a sadistic smile. "You seem frightened, _baby_," he hisses. "You act like you've never seen this side of me before. What do you think I hide behind my glasses, _dear_?" She stares at the reflection of herself in the crimson pools of his eyes, too horrified to speak even if she could.

Her lungs suddenly scream for air, but her body wont respond. Sweat trails down her forehead, suffocation ripping her from consciousness. Her vision is soon tinted red from loss of air.

Then black.

* * *

"MILLIE!"

My voice drifts off into the night as the three of us speed down another street. It may not seem like it, but this is a pretty big town. We could be searching all night.

No, I can't think like that. We'll find Millie, BEFORE anything happens to her.

Then, whoever, or WHATever, will have to answer to me.

My teeth grind together as I make a sharp turn down another alleyway, almost instantly losing my footing. I let out a yelp of surprise before twisting to where the pavement collides with my good shoulder and not my wounded one.

That doesn't mean it doesn't hurt.

I hiss an oath through my already clenched teeth before pushing myself into a sitting position. Meryl and Vash are at my side instantly.

"Nick! Are you-"

"Wolfwood, you should-" 

"I'm fine," I snap, cutting both of their sentences short. "I didn't hit my wound, I'll be fine." Before they can say anything more, I steady myself on my own two feet and shoot off in the direction we were going.

I can't stop now. Not when Millie might need me the most.

I won't let her down again.

"Maybe…maybe we should split up," Meryl pants as she leans on the side of a building for support. "We can cover more ground that way."

"Good idea," I say, surveying the area. My eyes land on Vash and a little red flag goes up. "Give me you're colt, Vash," I order. He blinks.

"Wha...why?!" the Stampede asks, hand placed protectively over his holster.

"You both have guns to protect you if you run into the bastard," I say bluntly. "I, on the other hand, have nothing other then a little bit of self protection karate shit, which, in this scrawny body, will get me no where." He blinks again. "Just give me the goddamn gun." For a moment neither of us do anything except stare down the other. Finally, the Typhoon gives me a solemn nod, showing that he understands. He places the gun in my hand and I force a grateful smile for him. When he lets go of the gun, the full weight of it nearly breaks my arms. Holy Hell, this thing is freaking heavy! I grunt out a curse before stuffing it in my back pocket. Vash gives a slight chuckle before turning and heading down one of the alleys. After sending him a death glare, I do the same.

I'm coming Millie.

* * *

_I can hardly breathe._

_Its__ been forever since I've gotten this much exercise._

_Even running away from those sandworms hadn't left me this winded!_

Meryl stops with a groan to lean on one of the many white-washed buildings. It had been about thirty minutes since she had suggested to split up, and she hasn't gotten anywhere since then. All the houses look the same.

Before today she hadn't even HEARD of this town.

She lets out another annoyed moan before getting ready to start off again.

"I swear, Millie," she grunts though clenched teeth. "If you're not hurt, I'm gonna _kill_ you."

"MERYL!"

The sudden noise makes her jump. It takes her a minute to place the voice, but finally does.

It's Vash.

"VASH!" Meryl calls, waving her arms frantically. "VASH! OVER HERE!"

The red clad outlaw sprints around a corner before spotting the waving woman. He comes to a full stop infront of the insurance agent seeming quite out of breath himself. "Meryl…" he pants, placing a hand to the wall by them to steady himself. "I…I think we might be in trouble."

"W-what?!" Short Girl stammers. "What do you mean?! Millie's the one in trouble…I think."

"No, she's defiantly in trouble," the Typhoon corrects. "Legato's around." Meryl's eyes widened slightly at the name.

"How do you know?" she asks, eyeing the tall man infront of her.

"We've been searching for over an hour, and we haven't seen hide nor hair of Millie," he replies plainly. "She couldn't have gotten too far from the church, and if Wolfwood really did hear her scream, she was close by when whoever or whatever jumped her…that and I'm completely and utterly lost."

Meryl almost face faults.

"Just because you get lost, you automatically think that psychopath is on our tail?!" she all but screams at him.

"I have a photographic memory," Vash replies matter-o-factly. "For the last thirty minutes I've been seeing the same twenty-seven houses, three broken street lamps, and run-down gun shop up until I heard you screaming my name. Legato is messing up our sense of direction so we don't reach Millie where ever she is."

Meryl almost counters, but stops to think about what the outlaw's said.

Her eyes widen in realization.

"That means-"

"He really is after Wolfwood."

* * *

"M-Millie!"

God I frickin HATE this body!

I'm so out of breath I might keel over.

Huffing and puffing, I lean against one of buildings for support.

Oh God, I really am gonna keel over.

Seeing as I'll probably be catching my breath for a while, I take this time to look around. This is the somewhat older part of the city. Back when I first came here, the houses around the church were just being finished. After the plant was fixed good-as-new, the city was able to expand, circling the church at its center. This used to be a very Earth founded town. You could tell by all the lost technology they tried to remake. In fact, if my memory serves me, I'm leaning on one of the very shops that used to sell things like portable radios and fans. They never really worked very well, but they were nice.

Finally I can breathe normally, but all this skipping (more like tripping) down memory lane has given me a headache. Stumbling slightly, I start off down the street, my pace quickening from a unsteady walk to a dead run. There's no time for reminiscing. I have to get to Millie.

_"Nicholas."_

I slide to a stop.

"Legato," I hiss. "Where are you, you snake?"

"Right…behind you."

I flip around with a started gasp.

"Got you!" Millie giggles before falling into the sitting position infront of me. "You really thought I was that Staccato guy!"

I stare up at her in shock. Everything is going by in a blur. Should I be happy she's safe? Should I be mad that she IS safe? Should I ask her what the hell's going on? God, my head hurts now. "It's…it's Legato, Millie," I grunt weakly.

"What's wrong, Nicky?" she asks, her head cocked to the side.

"I thought…weren't you…never mind," I say, shaking my head. "Come on, Millie," I mutter, grabbing her hand. "Let's get back to the church."

"Yeah, Sempai and Vash might be worried sick!" she replies happily before standing and starting down the road. I don't move. "What is it, Nicky?"

"You're not one to mess up so easily, Legato," I say grimly up at her. "Now get the hell out of Millie." After a moment of starting down at me in shock, she gives a sickening chuckle.

"_And so I have_," she says in an inhuman tone. "_How _careless_ of me!_" She blinks and the beautiful blue eyes I fell in love with disappear, replaced by two sickening golden orbs.

I knew it.

"Get out of her," I snap.

"_And what if I don't_?" she ask, her head cocked slightly to the side, sickeningly mirroring her small habit.

My hand drifts to the colt in my back pocket.

"_Don't flatter yourself, Nicholas_," Millie hisses. "_You can barely lift that much less shoot the likes of me with it. You would only accomplish in killing your darling Millie_," she runs a hand down her face, "_and that would be SUCH a waste_."

My gut turns as I grip the handle.

"_Would you really shoot her, though_?" she asks, seeming quite amused at the concept. "_Do you really believe that would do ANYTHING to me? I never took you for being so naïve_." Her eyes flicker dangerously. "_My power is so far above yours, there is no comparison. They are more then worlds apart_."

Slow footsteps echo behind us, pulling me from our little glaring contest.

What I see makes my blood run cold.

I stare up at myself. Its like looking into a warped fun house mirror. My eyes trail up from his feet to his face, where they stop.

Red eyes.

Blood red warped eyes.

My body starts to shake. If it's from the terror or the ice trailing through my veins, I don't know.

"_Do you like him_?" the golden-eyed Millie coos, walking casually over to him. "_He was quite the feet to create_." She runs her fingers through his hair as she speaks.

"You liar," I snap. "Vash destroyed the body so this wouldn't happen. You're just messing with my head."

"_Wonderful thinking, Nicholas_," she taunts, draping herself over the illusion. "_My, you did do your homework, didn't you? But, I'm afraid you're wrong. He's all flesh and bone_." She runs her finger nail across his cheek, drawing a string blood.

He's bleeding.

Dead people don't bleed.

It takes me a moment to realize there's something running down cheek. It's just sweat…but it feels thicker then that, and its warm. I wipe whatever it is off with the palm of my hand and look at it.

Blood.

I'm bleeding.

But how could I be…bleeding!?

I look up to see Millie lick away the blood running down warped me's cheek. "_Mmm_," she chuckles, "_the taste of your blood is so sweet_."

"**STOP IT!**" I bark, fists clenched so tightly at my sides they've turned chalk white. "Stop using her as your doll, you damned coward!" My words echo around us as Millie suddenly falls limp in warped me's arms.

_"As you wish, Nicholas," _Legato's voice says plainly, his voice seeming to come from everywhere at once. _"I will leave your lover out of this."_

"What the hell do you want with us?!" I demand sternly.

_"Unfinished business."_

"You bastard," I hiss. "Just leave us alone!"

_"My, what language.__ You should be grateful to me." _I blink.

"Oh, yeah," I hiss. "I have A LOT to thank you for! My death. Yeah, thanks a bunch, buddy."

_"Come now, Nicholas. Do you still cling to that naïve belief it was an act of _God _that brought you back? More like the act of the devil."_

My breath catches in my throat.

He couldn't mean.

_"Yes, Nicholas. It was I that gave you back your life."_

"LIAR!" I scream. "You're nothing but a filthy liar!"

_"I'm not lying, though I wasn't expecting to bring _you_ back. I was originally just trying to resurrect the demon in your soul and give it flesh, but something went terribly wrong. The other half of your soul also took on flesh in the form of your unborn son."_

I blink.

Everything suddenly makes sense.

Why my memory is in pieces.

The nightmares.

Why I have some of Millie's traits.

Oh God, everything makes sense.

_"However, there are _other _affects, which you've already felt. If something happens to one of the bodies, both feel the pain. Your other half tried to get rid of you in Louisville, and you both know the consequences." _There's a slight chuckle before he continues. _"My, this little experiment has been quite the entertainment."_

Silence.

"Legato!" I shout.

No answer.

"It seems Master has had his fun and left. I guess it's my turn."

My eyes fall on warped me, who is smiling sadistically down at the comatose Millie in his arms. He runs a hand down her chest, making my frozen blood boil. In one fluid movement, I rip the colt from my pants pocket and do my best to aim it at the bastard's head. "Don't you _dare _lay another hand on her," I hiss.

"Or what?" he asks, staring me down. "You'll shoot? Don't make me laugh. Not only would that mean loosing your own life, but you can barely hold that gun steady." His eyes trail back down to Big Girl. "Damn, she has beautiful skin, don'tcha think?" He runs his free hand over her neck, undoing the collar around it. Her red tie falls forgotten onto the ground.

"I MEAN IT!" I screech. "**LEAVE MILLIE ALONE!**"

He ignores me and continues to run his filthy hands over her now bare neck. With a demonic glint in his eyes, he applies more pressure until his hand is completely cutting off her air flow. I grunt out an oath as a small gasp of pain escapes her throat.

**_BANG _**

****

Blood trickles down my other cheek, the bullet barely missing the bastard's skull.

Damn.

"Jesus, you're psychotic!" he chuckles before throwing the girl in his arms at me. She hits the earth and rolls before coming to a stop in a heap infront of me.

Oh God.

"Millie!" I scream, falling to my knees to pull her onto my lap. "Oh God, Millie, I'm sorry!" She has bruises around her neck, but there's a pulse. She'll be fine. I let out a sigh of relief before glaring up at the bastard who dares to pretend to be me.

I would never do this to her.

Ever.

"You're not me," I hiss.

"Oh, but I am," he counters, taking a few steps forward. "I'm everything you hate about who you are and everything you can't change about your past. I'm you in more ways than you are."

"Then you must know I can't let a monstrosity like _you _to live," I snap, shakily raising the colt in my hand at him.

"Not this again," he cackles. "Are you trying to miss me?" I ignore him.

"I'm sorry Millie," I whisper, looking down at her sleeping face. "I really wanted to stay with you for a little longer, but I couldn't live with myself if this monster ever did anything to you." I glare up at him. "To anyone."

"What the hell are you talking about?" he grunts. "You can't shoot me! You can't even aim."

"I'm not going to shoot you," I reply dryly, placing the barrel of the colt to my temple. His red eyes widen. "You're right, there'd be no point.

"Later."

**_BANG _**

* * *

****

Well, that's it. Promise is OVER.

-sniff- I'm really going to miss this.

Now off you go to the epilogue, where a longer goodbye thingy is waiting for you!

Also, I am up to all throwing of the shoes instead of TK today, seeing as most of you will probably want to murder me now XD I'm completely prepared! -pulls the bullseye over her shirt- READY AND WILLING FOR SHOES!


	16. Epilogue: The Days After

Blu: …so, how many of you want to kill me now? A show of hands?

TK: …eek, those numbers are kinda scary

Blu: -sigh- Don't remind me. Okay, to tell the truth, this has been a pain the arse to write. I've tried many other approaches to this epilogue thing…and have failed miserably at every single flippin' one but this one. I'm sorry it took so long for me to write this, and I know you all must have been pulling your hair out on seeing updates for stories for other shows. I'm really, REALLY sorry.

My final goodbye or w/e to you peeps is at the end of the chapter, since I don't wanna keep you any longer then I already have.

But remember, you still rock my socks!

PS: I want to explain the thing with Wolfwood being in the body of Millie and his son thing. When Legato removed the evil from his soul after he died, the good in his soul became the purest form connected to him in this world, which would be his unborn son at the age when Wolfwood himself lost his purity by killing his guardian…yeah...and stoof.

Also, this is a rare past tense chapter, seeing as it is allthird POV. I hope you still like it!

PPS: I hate the divider thingies that they have on the QuickEdit things, so I'm not using them. They space stoof weird

Read and Review, the only things left to do for this story.

-----

Epilogue: The Days After

-----

"Oi, Thompson."

_Pick Pick Pick_

"_Oi_! Thompson!"

_Pick Pick Pick_

"THOMPSON!"

Millie spun around to see the foreman, her boss, taping his leather shoe on the dirt of the soon-to-be-well floor. She jumped in surprise, dropped her pickax, and fell into a bow in one fluid motion. "SORRY, MR. FOREMAN!" she managed. "I didn't hear you!"

The Foreman rubbed his temple idly. "No, I didn't think so," he said in a tired tone. "Listen, Thompson. Your friend told me about your…your condition…so, you're free to go for—"

"WHAT?!" Millie wailed. She hurriedly picked up her pickax and held it to her chest. "No, Mr. Foreman! You just _CAN'T _fire me! My friend is still so weak, and we really need the money, and—"

"THOMPSON!" Her boss grabbed her broad shoulders and shook them. "I'm NOT laying you off! Calm down!" She let out a sigh of relief.

"That's good to hear!" she said happily.

"I said, 'you're free to go _for today_'," he repeated.

"But its only three, sir!" she said after glancing at her dust covered watch.

"I know that, Thompson," the Foreman replied, getting annoyed, "but your friend told me about…about your…"

"About my what?"

"Your _BABY _, Thompson!" he snapped. "Your _baby_!"

"OH!" She laughed. "Oh, I'm fine, really! He isn't due for _months _now!"

"Still," her boss told her, "best worker or no, I'm letting you go early from now on. I just can't let a pregnant woman work hard labor under good conscious, ya know?" He waited for her to shake her head 'yes', but she just stared at him, waiting for him to go on. "…Go home, Thompson," he barked before turning around. The Foreman shook his head as he climbed the crude stair case back up to the mouth of the well.

"She's hopeless," he muttered to himself. "Who ever knocked her up didn't know what he was getting into."

-----

Millie climbed out into the sunlight through the well. Shielding her eyes with her gloved hand, she looked into the blue sky and let out a content sigh. _What a beautiful day_, she thought to herself, a smile slowly parting her lips. A sweet gust of wind blew across her face, tousling her brown hair. The gale awoke the small flock of birds that were resting on the benches and the ground, scaring them into flight. "Wow…" she breathed, watching them fly away.

"MISS MILLIE!"

The former insurance girl looked down to see a young man climbing the ladder after her. "Brandon!" she cried, scrabbling to make way for him. Big Girl climbed over the side just as her coworker popped his head out of the mouth of the well.

"I'm glad I caught you before you left!" he told her breathlessly, climbing out to stand in front of her. She jumped back slightly when he shoved something into her arms. "I wanted to give you this," Brandon explained. She looked down to see what seemed like nothing more than a rusted lunch pail cradled in her arms. "Open it," he instructed in an excited whisper. She hesitated for a moment before unlatching the top.

A single white, long stemmed rose stared up at her, cushioned under a silky silver pillow.

"Do you like it?" he asked.

A breathless, "…How?" was all that left her mouth.

"My mother owns a flower shop a town over and she's always happy to get me some special flowers if I ask," he explained. "So…you like it?"

"…I…wow!" Millie stared down at the flower. She had never seen a real rose before. Of course she had seen pictures…but a _REAL _rose…

"…So…does this mean you'll go out on a date with me?" Brandon asked her hopefully. Her head violently smashed back into reality. She slammed the lunch pail shut and pushed it back into his arms.

"I-I'm sorry! I can't!" Millie said hurriedly. She then quickly spun around and headed off in the direction of the general store.

"Why?" Brandon asked, helplessly following her. "Did I say something wrong? Is the flower too much? I can always take it back if you want! Get you something you want! Is there any flower you like better? Lilies? Sunflowers? Daffa—"

"Listen, Brandon," Millie said, cutting him off. She turned around to face him, her eyes stern and serious. "I'm married."

"You're…"

"Married and having a child," she finished for him. They stared at each other for a moment before she broke the gaze and looked off to her left. "I can't go against my vows…so," she looked back up at him and gave him her signature smile, "it's really sweet of you, but I'm just not ready to see other people!" With that, she turned around and headed into the store, leaving the young man to gape after her.

-----

"Mrs. Wilson? Mrs. Wilson, are you home?"

Millie was waiting patiently on the doorstep of a rickety, old house. A very _creepy_, rickety, old house. She glanced around after a moment, feeling a little anxious. The house a ways from town, in a corner of a bluff, giving the property an eerie sense. One of the crows perched on the shingles called shrilly to her. She jumped. "Umm…_Mrs. WILSON_!" she repeated, pounding a little harder on the door.

"COMING!" a gruff, female voice snapped. "I'M COMING, DAMMIT!" Big Girl jumped back as the door swung open. Mrs. Wilson, a hunched over old lady, her spectacles nearly falling off her nose, drew out a rifle and aimed squarely at Millie's chest. "I WON'T GIVE MY LAND TO YA', YA' GREEDY LITTLE THEIVES!" the old woman bellowed, waving the fire arm around a little as she spoke. "THIS IS MY LAND, YA' GOT THAT?! MINE!"

"HI, MRS. WILSON!" Millie chirped happily, unfazed by the old woman's outburst or artillery. "I'm not here for you land, I'm just here to see Nick!" The old woman blinked, dropped her aim slightly, and pushed her moon shaped glasses back onto the bridge of her nose.

"Millie!" the older woman squealed, dropping the firearm completely and pulling the large woman before her into a hug. "Millie, my child, what a wonderful surprise!" Pulling away, Mrs. Wilson pushed her glasses back up again before motioning for her to enter her house. "Come in! Come in, child, before you burn to a crisp! Come in, and I'll make you some tea."

"Ceylon?" Millie asked hopefully, stepping off of the dusty porch and onto the welcome matt in front of the doorway.

"Of course, my dear, of course!" the older woman assured her as she pulled a cartridge out of her apron pocket and loaded it into the rifle. "Just one section, child." Holding up the rifle, her hands shaking slightly, Mrs. Wilson walked calmly down her porch steps and turned to look at her roof. A crow cocked its head to look at her. She smiled up at the bird as she cocked the firearm and aimed at it.

"FLY, YA' DEMONS FROM HELL!" Mrs. Wilson screeched, shooting wildly at the crows. "STAY THE HELL AWAY FROM MY HOUSE, YA' GOT THAT?!" Shingles shattered and fell, the birds shrieking and flying this way and that until none were left. Satisfied, the old woman dropped her aim and smiled devilishly. "AND STAY AWAY, YA' FILTHY CROWS!" Turning her attention back to her guest, Mrs. Wilson's smile became sweeter.

"Now, about that tea…"

-----

"He…gave you a _rose_?!"

Millie blushed and nodded. "Holy…" Mrs. Wilson muttered. "That's one wealthy sonovabitch right there." Millie's blush became deeper, her head dropping lower towards the table she was studying. "It's a good thing ya' turned him down, though," the old woman added in a bored tone, her mixing spoon motioning to the girl across from her. "Ya' just ain't ready for another long term relationship…even if the bastard's freaking loaded."

"…His mom owns a flower shop…" Millie corrected quietly, still staring at the table past her empty tea cup. "That's how he got the rose."

"…So he's just as broke as the last guy, eh?" She nodded. "Damn," Mrs. Wilson breathed. "And here I was hoping ya' could pay me out of the pig sty."

"But then who would look after Nick?!" Millie asked quickly. "I couldn't 'cause Mr. Vash is still weak and healing, and Sempai can't work 'cause she's too worried about Mr. Vash to concentrate on anything, so it's up to me to pay our expenses! If you—"

"Millie, dear, calm down!" the old lady insisted, motioning for the young woman to cool her jets. "I was just joking! I couldn't leave Martin if I wanted to! He'd haunt me to _my _grave!"

Millie giggled. Martin Wilson was Mrs. Wilson's former husband, who died years earlier. Unable to pay for his burial fee, Mrs. Wilson simply dug a grave herself and pushed her husband in. Slowly, one by one, people asked if she'd do the same for their dead relatives. The graves grew over the years until half a square ile of the Wilson property was filled.

The old widow glanced out the window. "It's getting dark, Mil'," Mrs. Wilson announced, using one of Big Girl's many nicknames. "We better hurry before it gets too late and that friend of yours comes to drag ya' home." Millie and Mrs. Wilson both stood, picked up their cups and saucers, and went into the kitchen to dump the china into the soapy sink. They then returned to the table to push in their chairs. Big Girl grabbed up her lunch pail as her elderly friend unlocked the back door. Chattering lightly, the two left the house and started walking down the rows of graves.

After twenty some minutes of just walking and talking through the sea of tombstones, the odd pair came across a fresh grave. Burned cigarette buds littered the ground around the headstone. Pulling a cigarette box and a beat up lighter with the letters 'WWJD' crudely carved on the side out of her pocket, Millie removed the last cigarette, lit it, and placed it on top of the cross-shaped grave marker.

"You are one weird child, ya' know that, Millie?" Mrs. Wilson muttered as if to herself, but loud enough for Big Girl to hear. Millie giggled.

"My big-big sister used to do this for our grandpa, only with a candle," she explained. "She'd light it right before she talked to him and blow it out when she'd get done. Nick likes cigarettes better, though, so I guess I'll use up his last pack for him."

"I take back what I said about ya' being weird," the widow muttered, shaking her head. "Now I see it's just genetic." Millie giggled again as the other woman turned to leave. "I'll leave you two lovebirds to talk."

"Thanks again, Mrs. Wilson!" Big Girl called over her shoulder. The old woman waved her off.

"Yeah, yeah."

Returning her attention to the grave, Millie kneeled and folded her hands in her lap. "Hello, Nicholas," she addressed the headstone brightly. "I'm sorry I haven't been able to visit lately, but Sempai has been too busy making sure Mr. Vash heals properly to get any work done, and we still need money for the rent, so I've been working over time on the well." Big Girl smiled. "We're getting really close! So close that if you put your ear to the ground _just _at the right place, you can hear the water running under the soil! I'm so excited! The foreman is letting me off early from now on, though, so we can talk more! Isn't that great?!" She smiled cheerfully at the grave and it stared back at her.

"So, how are you liking your new home?" she asked the grave. "I know Mr. Vash had to burn both of the bodies so that nasty Legato person couldn't use you again, but now that he's gone, I feel like it was kinda pointless. Do you mind though? Your ashes are here, but would you rather have your body?" She giggled light heartedly. "I guess that's a really silly question, isn't it?

"Mr. Vash is still unconscious, if you haven't guessed," she continued. "Sempai's stressing over his wounds, and she won't listen to me when I tell her he's probably just healing from the emotional pain. She says that's something she can't help him with now, so she doesn't want to think about it. She's just worried, though. Her heart is in the right place.

"I wish you were here to lighten the mood sometimes, though…You and I could work on the well together and you'd make Sempai laugh again, like you always did…And when Mr. Vash finally woke up, you'd be there to make him smile again too…" A single tear rolled down Millie's cheek, and she paused to wipe it away before continuing. "We all miss you so much, but we know it's what you would have wanted. I just wish…I just wish I could have been there to help...to say goodbye." A few more tears fell down her face, but she didn't pay them any attention. "I wish you could be here to see your son be born…I wish…I wish I could see you just one more time…

"But… I guess wishing will just get me no where right?" She smiled through the tears, her eyes sparking in the setting sun. "My little-big brother always said 'Wishing is for people who have no intention of getting things done', and everyone always said he was exactly right. I know I'll see you again so…so I guess I don't have to wish for you anymore." Standing, Big Girl bowed her head towards the grave. "I love you, Nicholas. I can wait for heaven." She then gingerly picked up the still glowing cigarette and snuffed it out on the top of the grave stone. After doing so, she kneeled again.

Slowly, she raised her hands in prayer. "Dear God…" she started. "Give Sempai the strength she needs while looking after Mr. Vash. She…she hasn't been eating hardly…or sleeping, and I'm worried. Also, send someone to look after Mr. Vash when wakes up. I know that he'll question himself when does wake up, and he needs someone to lead him. I suggest you send Nicholas, since he helped Mr. Vash so much before." She paused, not sure what else to say. "And…and please give me the strength to keep going now that Nicholas is gone and his son is coming into this world. I'm not…I'm not sure I can keep going if something happens again like it happened today. I'm scared…" A few more tears broke through and she held back a sob. "I'm so scared I'll forget him…" She paused. This wasn't what she wanted to say. Shaking her head, she tried to crack a smile. "I can't get all gloomy now!" she scolded herself. "Amen," she finished quickly before wiping away some of the tears.

"He sounds like a wonderful man."

She looked up to see a white handkerchief being held out by a tan hand. She followed the hand and found it was connected to an arm connected to a shoulder which balanced a familiar face. Brandon smiled down weakly at her. She smiled back and took the cloth that he was offering to her. "He was," Big Girl told him after she had wiped the last trace of the tears away.

"He'd have to be," Brandon replied, the smile turning into a grin as he took a seat beside her. Her smile just grew.

"Are you flirting with me again, Mr. Brandon?" she asked, giving him a slight shove with her shoulder. "You know I'm married!"

"No! I promise I'm not!" he replied quickly as he looked away, his face red. "I just mean, he'd have to be wonderful for you to be so attached to him."

"Well," she said, cocking her head to the side as she stared at the tombstone, "we went through a lot together, and he was always there for me when I needed some advice or just someone to talk to. He was…" she giggled, "he was my Mr. Priest!"

"A priest, eh?"

"Yupp!" she chirped. "My chain smoking, gun totting, full of mercy Mr. Priest!"

Brandon laughed. "What? No motorcycle?"

"He had a motorcycle!" Millie corrected. "Named it Angelina!" Her coworker's mouth fell open.

"You're kidding me."

"Nope," she chirped, smile growing. "He had three since they kept breaking down. He always said hanging around Mr. Vash was bad luck. Then I'd tell him I thought it was just more fun that way." He laughed again.

"I'm sure…well," Brandon pulled the white rose he had offered her early out of her his jacket, "I think this 'priest' of yours deserves this more then I do." Bending over to reach the grave, he set the rose down, its stem pushed into the dirt so it wouldn't blow away as easily. Millie smiled again.

"Thank you, Brandon," she said. "I know he'd just love it."

_--Owari--_

-----  
**  
Special Thanks To…**

**Hustino-kun:** For not only beta reading the first version of this, which royally sucked, but beta reading this version as well. For sticking with me from the very beginning, giving me pointers, correcting my mistakes, and reviewing every chapter. I love you much –huggles-

**T9-chan: **For taking the time to read a few chapters, even if you weren't thrilled with the fluff, and for helping me out when I needed you by listening to my rabid plot bunnies –hands her a cookie-

**Kenny-kun**: For taking the time to read and review every chapter and for being my muse that got me through most of the harder chapters, even if your deny the fact you rock my socks –huggles-

**Emily-chan:** For listening to my plot bunnies during lunch and giving me what little input you can –huggles-

**Reviewer Responses:**

**Hero O Donuts: **I don't know if this was happy enough for you, but there you go, that's it! Hope you enjoyed it!

**Tongarisangel:** I hope this lived up to your expectations. I'm sad to see this end too. This is my baby…but tis all grown up now, and I have to let it go. Thanks again for taking the time to read this.

**El Hustino: **Ok, super long Review please! –big grin- just kidding XD You're right about Legato, he's a pain in the ass to write as, and yessh, I do remember that from writing this three months ago XD

**Black Betty: **Nope, never seen Fight Club, and Brad Pitt needs to burn –runs for her meaningless little life- DON'T HURT ME!!!!

**IRS:** -glares- you shh, Mr. Nitpick Man…although, I do remember getting you back! MWHAHA! Anywho, yessh, I am evil, but you'll just have to live with that, aren't you? I'm still thrilled that a great author such as yourself liked my little ficcie, so thankies again for taking the time to review…even if it was just to throw footwear at me…-is still picking dry mud out of her hair-

**Magnet-Rose:** …please tell me the minions have recovered by now? You know I hate to see the little guys upset! (TK: then why did you write that totally evil chapter?) Caz, I can, I did, and I wanted to, that's why! –kicks TK- now shut up! –hugs back- thank you for reading this!

**Naruke: **I had to end it sometime! …and yessh, there IS an epilogue! Tis right here!

**InuBuggy: **I'd feel better if you did throw shoes at me, tho, but I'm also glad you liked the ending, even tho I already told you what I'd do.

**Neptune Butterfly: **first off –give Kuro Neko some tuna and milk- GOOD KITTY! Anywho, I understand about being a bastard and messin up your review. It randomly decided it wanted to mess up my stories a while back and take out words! EVIL! …Anywho…are you doing any better? I didn't mean to put you into a coma! Really!

**Gollum8Smeagol**: Yeah, that whole thing about if Millie was awake to see Wolfwood die or not was a little hard for me to decide, but I like the way it turned out. It was also an issue in the epilogue that prolonged it; to base it right after the death or further down the road, and if the latter, how far? Very annoying! I hope you get to reading the epilogue, even if it took me so damn long!

**KittyHakubi: **See? Millie didn't loose her son, and she's fine. Yessh, I did off Nicky again, but I didn't want to screw up the story line _too _much. Thanks for reading even if I did go and kill Wolfie all over again.

**Ali10: **I'm glad you liked the last chapter so well, even if I did get a few bumps on the head for it XD Nick has always been noble, so I couldn't just forget about it! And he's _always_ kawaii! –huggles her Wolfwood plush-

**LegacyRBluesummers: **Wonderfully putt! The best (and shortest) review I have ever gotten! I applaud you!

**Gunslinger Neko: **-shares some of her tissues with you- yessh, we fangirls must let him go…no matter how much we love him –sniffle- It was…the best thing to do –sniff sniffle- I LOVEDED YOU, WOLFIE! I LOVEDED YOU!!! (TK: …you were the one who killed him off, smart one) Oh, you shh!

**GuruGuru: **I'm too lazy to mark every chapter you reviewed, tho I have to say you scared the crap out of me by doing this. I had a heart attack in my chair! Wonderful birthday present! The best! Thankies for reading, it means the world! –huggles

**Moneystarz: **I'd be right there with out about the Legato torture, but then again, he'd probably like it…the sick bastard! Anywho, Millie's kid is fine and is going to be born, so no worries! I'm glad you liked this story so much, and I home you're okay now.

**Horselvr517: **…so you've only read to the forth chapter…hmm…well, here's your response! Get a good nights rest!

Well, that's everyone. I love you all for taking the time to review, and I love everyone else who took the time to read it as well. I'm glad you liked this fic, my baby, my masterpiece…and all that other sentimental crap. Well…GOD I'M SO HAPPY! 161 REVIEWS AND HOPEFULLY MORE AFTER I POST THIS! –does a little happy dance-

Oh, shameless plug. Look out for my next Trigun fic, **Child's Play**, after I finish the Case Closed one I'm doing. It ties into this one, mainly Wolfwood's flashbacks, and focuses on all the stoof that happens to our favorite priest before he stumbles across the insurance girls and their Humanoid Typhoon friend!

I hope you all will check that one out as well

Well, Sayonara, my friends! –sniffle-


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